Troubles on White Day
by Yamadori
Summary: Blue Dragon Anime. Spoilers up to Episode 29. When the Shu-tachi take a small detour, they find out that White Day is only a few days away. This results in a competition between Kluke and Bouquet to make chocolate for the boys. Kluke x ?, Bouquet x ?
1. Impromptu Vacation

**Hey guys, just thought I'd write up a new Blue Dragon story. Yeah, I know, it's kind of early for a Valentine's Day fic. But I'd rather start writing it now and have it up when Valentine's Day comes around; with Blue Dragon's "popularity", most people probably won't read it until March. I'm personally hoping that this series will become more widely known once Blue Dragon Plus is released in February. I can't wait! Uh... Right. So, about the pairings: Kluke and Bouquet's pairings are currently unknown, since Shu, Jiro and Marumaro will all be involved in the competition. It will probably end up being Kluke x Jiro, Bouquet x Shu, but I'm not sure yet. And about the spoiler... Well, this actually takes place right after episode 30, but there isn't much of a spoiler in that episode; the only things that could be considered spoilers in that episode aren't really mentioned, so I thought there wasn't any point in warning about it. Anyway, I'll stop rambling and let you read. Hope you like it. :)**

**Disclaimer: Yes, I do not own Blue Dragon. If I did, why wouldn't I just make my stories into an episode of the anime?**

****

**Notes:**

Concerning White Day: White Day is a holiday in Japan, and is basically a role reversal of Valentine's Day; girls are supposed to give chocolate to the boys they like. Honmei-choco (chocolate of love) are given to boys who the girls are in love with, and Giri-choco (chocolate of courtesy) are given to friends. As Blue Dragon is in the future from our time, some facts have been modified about White Day. First of all, Valentine's Day has been moved to February 7th, and White Day has been moved to March 7th (the Shu-tachi arrive in the village around February 20th). Second of all, the Honmei and Giri choco don't play as big of a role as they do in current day Japan. In fact, there's almost no difference between them.

Concerning Shu and Kluke's Sickness:Partly due to reasons that will be brought up in a different fic, Shu and Kluke have a sort-of-condition called severe cold intolerance (commonly known as SCI). In the Blue Dragon world (or at least, my version of it), SCI is very common in children who live in warm climates (especially deserts). Unfortunately, they often don't know they have it until they go into a place that's cold enough to snow. Usually it won't kill them, although there have been deaths contributed to it. It is usually treatable with medicine and rest (and possibly some old home remedies). Shadow Users have partial resistance to cold, but Shu and Kluke show that the SCI - while it doesn't stop it entirely - somewhat neutralizes the immunity.

Jiro sneezed; he was glad to be somewhere that was seasonal by ancient standards, but still not used to it yet. He clutched the paper bags closer to his chest. The last thing he needed to do was _sneeze_ on them. The very thought was ironic, to say the least. He was relieved to find himself only a few feet away from the inn. At least, until he saw Bouquet sitting (depressed) on the front steps.

Jiro's initial reaction was to do his best to ignore her. Usually, he tried to avoid any social or physical contact with the girl. To him, the incidents with Legolas when they first met were proof that Bouquet was a walking hazard.

But avoiding her wouldn't be easy, as when she saw him, she stood and unwittingly block his path. "Jiro?"

He held back a sigh. "What is it, Bouquet?"

"Do you... Do you think Shu and Kluke will be okay?"

Now he did sigh, letting his eyes slide shut. "Yeah, they'll be fine. As long as you let me get inside and bring them the medicine."

"Oh!" Startled, Bouquet practically leapt off the stairs. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Jiro walked to the door, then stopped. "Oh, and Bouquet?"

"Yes?" she looked at him curiously. Jiro only talked to her to tell her to shut up or to give her battle instructions, and that in itself was a rare occurrence.

He swallowed. "... Try not to stay outside too long. It's cold." Before she could respond, he hurried through the front door.

* * *

Kluke scrunched her eyes as she woke up, moaning slightly; her head was still hurting. When her eyes were open, she blinked a few times to clear her view.

She was on a bed, in a well-furnished room... She guessed it was an inn. She just wondered what she was doing there.

To her left, on another bed, was Shu. He seemed to be sound asleep.

She tried to push herself up, but found herself falling back into the bed. It was like she was being held down with weights. It didn't make sense... She had several thick blankets draped over her, but they shouldn't be holding her down like that.

"Good. You're awake."

Kluke recognized the voice. "Zola...? What... What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"I remember we changed course... We were heading for a village in the mountains. Me and Shu got sick from the cold, and you had to take over and pilot the mechat."

"About that..." Zola interrupted. "Thank you, for the tips on landing. That was a very clever and discreet way to tell me, too."

"It's no problem." Kluke smiled. Zola was skilled in many things, but piloting wasn't one of them. Kluke had ended up coming out of the mechat cabin to direct Zola, all under the guise of trying to get a better view of the village. Then, thinking further, Kluke became confused. "But... I can't remember what happened after we landed."

"You and Shu passed out from the cold. We had to carry you to the village; I carried Shu and Jiro carried you."

"Jiro carried me?" Kluke blushed slightly. The boy had never been particularly mean to her, but she certainly wouldn't imagine him carrying her, even in an emergency. Not that she minded.

Zola smiled, noticing Kluke's sudden flush, but chose not to say anything about it. "He brought you and Shu some medicine. We gave it to you about an hour ago, so you should start to feel the effects."

"I guess I feel better than before. But that might just be because it isn't as cold in here."

"Kluke, you're awake, maro!" Marumaro appeared out of nowhere, bouncing over to the side of the bed.

Jiro walked to stand next to him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. And thank you, for carrying me."

Jiro blushed, his eyes looking up at Zola accusingly.

Zola chuckled, closing her eyes. "I'll leave you three to each other." With that, she left the room.

The trio chatted for a while, Jiro and Marumaro telling her what the town was like and such. Shu woke up a little while later, and Bouquet joined the group once she discovered that "her Darling" was conscious. Soon, Shu and Kluke were able to get up and move around; the medicine was working like a charm.

"I wonder if it's safe to go outside..." Shu looked longingly out the window. As much as he didn't like it making him sick, he'd never seen snow up close, and was endlessly curious about it.

"Probably," Zola walked into the room. "The medicine should be just about done working. If you couldn't go outside, then I'd say the pharmacist is due for a talk."

"Hopefully involving our money being returned." Jiro muttered under his breath.

Kluke pushed the inside of her cheek with her tongue. "Zola, is it alright if I go shopping?"

"What would you want to do that for?" Shu frowned at her.

Zola ignored him. "As long as someone goes with you, it's fine." she scanned the group with her eyes, instantly deciding who. "Take Bouquet with you."

"_What_?" Bouquet yelped, taking a step back.

Kluke closed her eyes, sighing and starting to count to ten. Putting up with Bouquet was a chore, but she knew that Zola had done this as a favor to her; if Bouquet was with Kluke, she wouldn't be with Shu. "Okay."

"What?" Bouquet repeated, this time directed at Kluke.

"There's a few things I'd like you to pick up for me while you're out there," Zola was still grinning at the exchange between Kluke and Bouquet. "I'll make a list."

**Okay, there's the first chapter. Sorry it's so slow; it'll pick up next chapter, I promise. And hopefully there will be some romance in that. Although, there was a little something between Bouquet/Jiro and Kluke/Jiro. :) Anyway, all this story needs is about ten hits or so before I update it. But please, **_**please**_** review. I like to know that someone didn't just click on it and then go back to the last page. And suggestions are always appreciated. ;) Well... I already asked you to review, so I don't think there's anything else I need to mention. Hope you liked it.**


	2. New Developments

**Okay, here's chapter two. I realized I made two errors last chapter: One, I forgot the disclaimer (which I've put there now, and in my story _Shu and Kluke - Precious Memories_). Two, I made a little error with the time concerning White Day, but I've altered the story slightly from my original plan so it makes more sense. Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to take a moment to reply to reviews from last chapter:**

**WindGoddess Rune:** Thank you! And about Blue Dragon Plus... I've seen some of the Japanese game play, and it looks great. I'm looking forward to Sahlia being a playable character. :) Although I think they should bring out another game for the platform at some point in the future, they've got another game lined up after Plus comes out. And it looks equally cool, if not more. It's called _Blue Dragon: Ikai no Kyojuu_. Cheers for the DS! (And thanks so much for reviewing!)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Thanks! I love Jiro too (especially in the game); it's really fun writing his character. I'd been worried that I was going a little overboard with the information, so I'm glad that you liked it. Here's the update, like you wanted. I would've had it out sooner, but I overslept, and I still had to write the thing. I'm hoping, that when people read this and my other Blue Dragon stories, that the anime and game's popularity will pick up a little bit. The series deserves so much more than what it's getting. About the anime episodes: For the subs, I've watched Season 1 from episode 1-31. The Spanish subtitles were a pain to translate, but I managed to do it with Google and AltaVista Babelfish; I translated a minute or two of episode 32 as well. For Season 2, I watched episodes 1-13, 15, 17, 21, 27, 35, and 39. Season 2 was harder to watch, since there were no subtitles. I didn't know as much Japanese when I first watched as I do now, so I'm thinking of watching them again. Sorry my reply was so long, and I hope I answered all of your questions and comments. Hope you like this chapter, and thanks again for your nice review; I was feeling down when I finished writing this, but your review really cheered me up!

**The Flying Frog: Thanks. **The anime is pretty good; if you like the game, I'd definitely suggest it. I haven't beaten the game yet, but I probably will eventually; I'd like to finish it by the time Blue Dragon Plus is released. *sigh* I've always wanted to see what Bouquet's Corporeal attack would be like... I do have a story where I wrote her into the game, but I haven't uploaded it yet. Since the game and anime characters are so different, I've given her personality a fairly drastic change. But your research about Anime Bouquet is dead on; she kind of tricked Shu into being her fiance (long story...), and she's part of the Ra Clan, so she's inherited powers which allow her to turn invisible. And I'll try to do my best with the story. ;)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Hm? I thought you said this already in a different review. Oh, well, I'll reply to it anyway. I uploaded Chapter 4 a few minutes ago, and I'm going to add it as soon as I finish this reply. The competition will start to develop there. :)

**Edward-Elric-in-red: **Thanks! I'll try to keep the cuteness up. ;)

**Growlmon1:** Thank you; I'm glad you liked it. :) Really? Thanks! :D I liked those, too, and the final chapters were my favorite. I got your PM about it... I don't like giving out my e-mail - just in case someone reads it who isn't supposed to - so I'd like to try to contact the site administrators first. Maybe we can get them to reset it or something.

******I'd like to mention a little note for reviews real quick. To make an example, if you were to leave a review for the first chapter, I would respond to it in this one. This applies to all of my stories. And another thing: normally I don't like to advertise, but since this is related to Blue Dragon, I'll make an exception; I've got a poll on my profile for Blue Dragon characters in the game. Just thought I'd mention it, since someone might be interested. Anyway, let's get on with the story!**

"I can't _believe_ this." Bouquet was whining. She knew that. But she couldn't help it, not when she'd been plucked away from her Darling so abruptly.

"Deal with it." Kluke didn't even look up, investigating a peach for ripeness.

Bouquet scowled at her, but didn't say anything. It was too cold to fight anyway.

"I thought you would've at least had some kind of comeback." Kluke snorted. Picking a fight with Bouquet hadn't been what she wanted to do - and also the reason that she didn't want to bring her shopping in the first place - but the girl was starting to seriously annoy her.

"Look, you-"

"WHAT?!!" A young girl's cry interrupted the would-be fight. "Wha... What do you mean White Day only two weeks away?!"

"How many times, Francesca?" From her friend's expression, it looked like this sort of thing was something she went through regularly. "Today is February 20th," she spoke slowly. "That means that it's basically two weeks away."

"I... I have to find a boy! Otherwise, it'll be just like last year!"

"If you weren't so slow picking a boy, you wouldn't have even had that problem last year..." The girls' voices started to fade as they walked away, likely towards another stall.

Kluke and Bouquet stood quietly for a minute, staring in the direction that the girls had gone.

Bouquet broke the silence first. "Kluke... did you hear that? About White Day?"

"Yeah."

"About it only being two weeks away?"

"Yeah."

"About how it's hard to find a boy?"

"Yeah."

"...What are we going to do?"

"Yeah."

"Kluke!"

"What?"

"Are you listening to me?"

"What did you say?"

Bouquet slapped her head in frustration. Of all the stupid... Why had she ever agreed to come out here? "White Day. You know, the biggest holiday for girls all over the world?" Kluke nodded, so she continued. "It's only two weeks away, and those girls said it's hard to find boys in this village! What are we going to do?"

Kluke finally snapped out of it. "We're not going to 'do' anything. We probably won't even be in this village on March 7th."

"But... I want to give chocolate to Shu!"

"Well, if we're not being randomly attacked by some enemy on the 7th, knock yourself out." Kluke regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. She'd wanted to brush her off, but she didn't want Bouquet to get any ideas that she could do whatever she wanted with Shu.

Fortunately, Bouquet didn't seem to notice too much. "There has to be something we can do..."

"I'll tell you what you can do." Kluke muttered threateningly.

"You're so mean."

"Well, I'm _sorry _if I'm a little mean, but I'm just about five seconds from passing out from the cold!" Kluke snapped at her. Noticing Bouquet's frightened expression, Kluke calmed a little. "Here, take this," she passed Zola's list to Bouquet. "Go find the food items on that list. I remember the mechanical stuff, but try not to lose it anyway."

"Okay..." she broke off into a run, before stopping and looking over her shoulder. "...And I'm sorry, Kluke." she took off towards the vegetable stand.

Kluke sighed, massaging her temples. "I'm getting too old for this..."

* * *

"What do you mean we're stuck here?!" Bouquet was so shocked, she nearly dropped the basket she was holding.

"Just what she said." Jiro spoke sharply to her.

"Jiro," Zola's voice was scolding, yet light. "We should get comfortable, because we'll be stuck here for a long time. Not only is the mechat's engine frozen, but the weather experts are absolutely sure that this will be the longest and final storm of winter."

"Well, that stinks." Shu flopped into a chair. "What are we supposed to do in the meantime?"

"We'll make the best of it," Zola smiled now. "We've been pressing ahead for a while, so a break probably wouldn't hurt."

"While we're sitting here resting, Nene is gaining strength." Jiro's voice darkened with hatred for Grand Kingdom's king. He couldn't understand how Zola could be so lax.

"Don't worry. If he thinks that we've disappeared, we can take him by surprise once the storm is over. Besides, we haven't trained in a while..." she let the sentence trail, grinning as she watched Shu and Jiro simultaneously perk up.

"Training, maro? I thought we were going on a vacation, maro." Marumaro didn't bother to hide his disappointment.

"In case you've forgotten, we went on this journey for a reason." Jiro was really getting annoyed. Why was it that everyone thought this was a game?

"Relax, Jiro," Kluke interrupted cheerfully. "There's nothing we can do anyway, so we might as well enjoy ourselves." she walked over to put the supplies on the table, ignorant of Jiro's blush as she walked past him.

Bouquet noticed, though. She looked at Kluke, then Jiro, followed by Marumaro, and finally at Shu. She grinned. She finally had a plan for White Day.

**Well, there's chapter two. I would've let more happen, but I didn't want to drag it out too much. The next chapter will be better; I'm going to make sure of it this time! *insert peace sign* Hehe... Anyway, I hope you liked it. Try to review, okay? I accept reviews if you're not a member of the site, so don't feel shy. :) A review, even a little one, always puts me in a good mood. So... Once the hits for this chapter are at 10, I'll try to update again. See you next chapter!**


	3. Competition: Start!

**Hi. :) Here's chapter three. It **_**is**_** a little slow, but things will finally pick up in this chapter. At least, a little. Before we get to the story, though, we'll get to the review replies:**

**WindGoddess Rune:** Oh, yeah. Things are definitely going to get good. ;)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman: **Hi, nice to see you! Thanks for reviewing again. :D Don't worry about taking a while. You wouldn't believe how busy I get. And it's weird, since I don't seem to do a whole lot... Anyway, I forgot to mention it, but I did watch some of the episodes with Chinese subs. I don't know Chinese, but Chinese and Japanese share characters, so sometimes I can make sense of it. Usually, though, it confuses me, so I end up looking for raw episodes so I can try to translate the straight Japanese. And the website you mentioned, it wouldn't happen to be Youku, would it? That's where I've been watching most of the episodes, though I'll watch them again on Veoh to get a clearer version. And to take screencaps. ;) Oh, and I liked Episode 39, too. One of my favorites. Go Jiro! :D And thanks about my story. When I write fan fictions, I try to write as close to the anime or game that I can, so I'm really flattered that you'd compare my story to an episode. *insert blush here* I'll reply to your review of chapter 3 as soon as chapter 4 is up.

**WindGoddess Rune:** Yeah, I watch season two. Depending on the episode, sometimes I even like it more than season one. ;) But I'd definitely go with the Investiture Beings, since I think it's possible that they may end up on the good side later on. Or at least, that's what I'm hoping. :) But I usually refer to them as the Superior Life Forms, since that's what I translated their name as (I don't know who's been writing this stuff on Wikipedia... Sorry, I'm really particular about this kind of stuff *insert sweatdrop here*).

**Okay, _now_ we can get to the story. :D**

**Note: Anego means "big sister" (I've seen it translated as "sis"). That's what Hippo-chan usually calls Bouquet in the Japanese version.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Blue Dragon, I'd be more shocked than you. But I don't, so we're all saved from that little extra stress.**

"Come on, Shu." Kluke poked the protruding lump on the bed. "You want to go outside, don't you?"

"I don't want take any medicine if it tastes like that!" he cried indignantly, voice muffled by the blankets.

Kluke sighed, standing straight, pinching between her eyebrows. They'd been in the village for three days already, and neither the status of the mechat nor the weather had improved. Also, Bouquet had been acting strangely; she didn't really talk to anyone, not even Shu, and would go off somewhere and not come back until much later.

On top of that, the effects of the SCI medicine were wearing off. Kluke and Shu hadn't really been awake when they were given the medicine the first time. Now, though, they had found out how horrible it tasted. One drop of it had made Shu proclaim the liquid "icky", and he'd fled under his bed's blankets. Which had left Kluke in her current situation.

"Shu..." she tried again.

"No!"

"What, he still won't come out?" Kluke nearly jumped when she heard Jiro's voice.

"I don't know what to do." Kluke talked quietly, so Shu wouldn't hear.

"Here, let me try," Jiro leaned on his knees next to the bed. "It's been over an hour, you know. Are you that much of a baby?"

"... Drop dead, Jiro!"

"Well, so much for that." Jiro stood. "If he freezes to death, he deserves it for acting like a spoiled brat."

"Shu, Jiro's right-"

"You promised me you wouldn't call me a baby anymore!"

"I was talking about you freezing!" _Besides, I made that promise years ago,_ she added in her mind.

"I won't freeze if I stay under the covers." was his stubborn reply.

"Were you dropped on your head as a child, or were you just born this way?" Jiro shook his head.

Shu threw the sheets off. "What did you say?!"

Jiro smirked. "You heard me." On the aside, he winked at Kluke.

"No, I don't think I did." Shu hopped off the bed.

Kluke, taking Jiro's hint, poured a dose of the medicine into a spoon.

"You want me to repeat it?"

"Well, that really depends on whether you want to get away without getting hurt."

"Is that supposed to be some sorry excuse for a threat?"

"You want a threat?! I'll-" Shu was abruptly cut off as a spoon was stuffed in his mouth. In his mind, he was reminded of an event that had taken place several years ago, one involving Kluke and her bad cooking.

"Mission success!" Kluke pulled out the spoon triumphantly, then lifted her hand towards Jiro, waiting for a high five.

"I... ICKY!!" Shu scrambled under the covers again.

Jiro, who had ignored Shu's little episode, was looking at Kluke's hand in confusion. "Kluke?"

She faltered for a minute, then had an idea. "Hold up your hand."

"Like this?" he mimicked her.

"Yeah!" Kluke gave him a high five.

"Wh-what... What was that?!" Jiro sputtered, blushing.

Kluke giggled, starting to go into an explanation of what a high five was.

Little did they know that they were being watched.

* * *

"Anego, I don't think this is such a good idea..."

"You don't think anything I want to do is a good idea."

"That's because everything you want to do is dangerous!"

"Hippo-chan," Bouquet looked away from the window and at her Shadow. "You'll never get anywhere in life if you don't take chances."

"That's just your point of view..." Hippo-chan grumbled.

"I've always lived like that," she looked at the window again. "I always took a chance on living, always took a chance that someday things would get better..." she looked downcast for a moment, but then perked up. "And they did. Now that I have Darling, things _will_ get better. And that's why I have to go through with my plan."

"If you say so..." the Shadow shrugged.

A door opened in the house next door. "Hippo-chan, we'll talk more later." she quickly unsummoned him before the person saw her Shadow.

When the person had left, Bouquet breathed out in relief. "That was close... But..." she looked inside, where Jiro was blushing furiously as he told Kluke that he "_did _know what a high five was". "Now that Hippo-chan isn't out to discourage me, I can go through with my plan."

* * *

"Shu, you can't stay in there all day." Mostly, Kluke said this because she didn't want to be stuck trying to get him out all day. Now that he wasn't in danger of dying without the medicine, it seemed absurd to her for Shu to stay in bed.

"Icky!" Shu had been replying to everything like this ever since Kluke had forced the medicine into him.

"Forget him, Kluke. Let's just get on with it; what did you want to talk to us about, Zola?" Jiro turned his attention to her.

"Well, you remember I mentioned that training?"

"Training?!" Shu leapt out of the bed, unwittingly knocking Kluke over.

"You stupid _idiot_..." she grumbled as she pushed herself up.

"What training?" Shu ignored Kluke, walking over to Zola. "Are we going to train soon?"

"Maybe if you stop trying to kill people." Jiro said reproachfully, offering his hand to Kluke.

"Thanks, Jiro." Kluke dusted herself off.

"I was thinking that we could go out to one of the mountain peaks to train this afternoon," Zola pointed out the window. "It's just a little walk away from the village."

"Yes!" Shu pumped the air with his fist. "Finally, we can do something!"

"Maybe you could've done something if you hadn't spent half the morning in bed, maro." Marumaro said flatly.

"No one's talking to you!" Shu yelled at him.

"Maro!" The Devee stood now, ready to attack.

"Well, if nothing else, at least they're in a mood to beat each other's brains out." Kluke placed a hand on her hip, looking off to the side. Why was she surrounded by these crazy people?

The door slammed open suddenly. "Hello, everyone! I'm back!" Bouquet proclaimed happily.

"So, you finally decided to show up?" Kluke said sarcastically.

Bouquet's eye twitched ever so slightly. "I'm going to pretend you didn't say that. But, I did need to talk to you about something."

"Me?" Kluke quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes, you," Bouquet started pacing back and forth. "Making chocolate on White Day is one of the most important and sacred duties for every girl on the planet. You're dismissive behavior of such a task is unforgivable," she turned a harsh look towards the other girl. "As punishment for your unpardonable act, I, Bouquet, challenge _you _to a chocolate-making competition!" she pointed at Kluke.

**Well, there's the end of that... Hope Bouquet doesn't get __****too ****crazy, but I have to let her go wild at least a little. Otherwise she wouldn't be Bouquet, right? ;) Oh, and the high five scene with Kluke and Jiro was kind of a parody to something that happened in Tales of Vesperia, between Estelle and Rita. If you've played the game, and you know who those two are, you probably know what I'm talking about. ;) Anyway, I'll wait for 10 hits on this chapter before I upload chapter four. The next chapter isn't finished yet, but I've got the first two lines. Leaving that little cliffhanger made it easy to start the next chapter. Suggestions in reviews are always helpful, so feel free to leave them. And remember that I reply to reviews from previous chapters, so check the next chapter after the one you reviewed. I check that often, so replies will be up pretty fast. :) So... Let's hope that Kluke doesn't end up seriously injured from this! Who know's what Bouquet's planning? I don't even know! See you next chapter!**


	4. Bumpy Beginning

**Chapter 4 at last! Here it is, in all its glory. I was suffering from some writer's block after the first two lines, so it may not be that good. I don't know, I'll let you decide. Speaking of which... Review reply time!**

**WindGoddess Rune:** Thanks for the review. :) I'm hoping that the chocolate-making competition will be good. Bouquet is kind of crazy (go Bouquet!), so that makes it a little easier to write a crazy competition. Yes, I finally got your e-mails. I had no idea what a PM was, so imagine my (pleasant) surprise when I read your review and found two e-mails in my inbox. :D I couldn't get the pictures you sent me... I don't know what happened. Maybe try sending them as attachments next time? Anyway, I'm excited about the new Shadows, especially any ones related to birds (which is one reason I like Kluke so much). The new Ancients look like challenging foes; I think it's more likely that they're siblings, if they're related. But I'm very curious to see what their true purpose is. I'm also very excited about Randel and Ran, who are the male/female character you can create (those are there prototype names). I'm actually planning on making a story for the new game, but I'm going to change Ran's name to Erica (she's not Randel's sibling in my story, and their names sounded too similar). Sorry for the long reply (I can't help it, I like talking about Blue Dragon :P), but I'm glad you keep reviewing! :D

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Aw, you're sweet... and you always make you blush. Stop that!... Just kidding. ;) I'm always happy to hear that I'm portraying the characters well; unless the story calls for a character change, I like to keep everyone as in-character as possible. And the events... Well, this story had initially been a practice run (along with _Shu and Kluke - Precious Memories_), since I just joined the site about a week ago, though I've been reading on the site for basically two years (not every day, of course; I like fan fiction, but I've got a ton of stuff to do!). I always like having Kluke and Jiro doing something together (talking, using teamwork to fight an enemy), especially since their relationship got seriously downplayed after Andropov became a love interest for Kluke. It's a shame; I like Andropov a lot, but I like Kluke being with Jiro more. I thought it was kind of unfair, how the writers made these little Jiro x Kluke scenes, and then dropped the Andropov-plot-twist-bomb all of a sudden. I'm getting used to the idea of it, though. Yeah... I felt bad for Shu when I wrote that scene (to Shu: hang in there, kiddo). I'm starting to get some ideas for this, so it should start to spin out pretty good. I'm not planning on a sequel or anything, but this will be longer than I originally thought. And I always love Bouquet planning. She's portrayed as being kind of ditzy sometimes, so I always love to write her popping out with something clever. ;) She's going to be more silly in this story, but I'm looking forward to deepening her character in future stories. I'm not sure how well I'll be able to keep up with the 10 hit thing, but I'm going to try. So, here's the next chapter. :D Oh, and you might want to check Chapter 3, because I replied to your review of Chapter 2.

**WindGoddess Rune:** Sorry for the wait, and here's Chapter 4. :)

**Sorry for the long replies, especially to the people who haven't reviewed and/or don't plan to. You're always welcome to review, and I'm replying because I saw other people doing it and I think it's a courteous thing to do. So, with that out of the way, we can start the chapter.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Blue Dragon, a good portion of the royalties would go to buying me and my dad's insulin. But I don't, so the insurance companies are taking all of our money. You evil people!... Not my dear readers, of course.**

Kluke gaped at Bouquet. "_What_?"

"You think maybe that was a little overdramatic?" Shu looked at her sideways.

"Kluke, if you don't accept my challenge, you'll be even more disgraced than you are now!" Bouquet's arm faltered slightly, but she still continued to point.

"I think Bouquet is overdramatic in general." Jiro muttered under his breath.

Kluke regained her composure. "So, you're little 'competition'..." She crossed her arms over her chest. "What does it involve?"

Bouquet chuckled. "Well... It's very simple, actually. You and me are going to make chocolate, any kind as long as it's one used during White Day, and give it to the boys. Whoever has the best results wins."

Shu scratched his head. "Uh, Bouquet, that's kinda..."

"Stupid." Jiro said flatly.

"It is _not_!" she stomped her foot, glaring at him. "You're just jealous that Shu and Marumaro are part of the competition!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Jiro was yelling at her, but honestly, he hadn't thought about it. Thinking about it, though... It made him afraid - as much as he hated that - that Bouquet might be right.

"Bouquet, I think I understand your mind set, but..." Kluke looked down thoughtfully. "This doesn't seem very traditional to White Day."

"Look, I've been planning this for three days, so don't ruin it!"

"_That's _what you've been doing?" Shu gaped at her.

"Even if it's _you _we're talking about, I would've thought you'd find a better way to waste your time." Jiro pinched between his eyebrows.

"I'm not talking to him." Bouquet looked steadfastly at Kluke. "You're going to do it, right?"

"White Day is supposed to be about giving chocolate to the boy you like," Zola intervened. "If you give chocolate to Shu, Jiro and Marumaro, it kind of defeats the purpose."

"How they like it overall is what determines whether me or Kluke wins," Bouquet put a hand on her hip. "Since Shu is my fiancé, I would pick him if I win anyway. Since Kluke doesn't have that with anyone, it's different if she wins. Which she won't." she smirked.

"We'll see about that." Kluke glared at her.

"I'll take that as an acceptance. In that case..." Bouquet pumped the air with her fist. "... let the competition begin!"

* * *

And that was how Kluke found herself outside in the snow, rubbing her arms furiously, in front of a candy store.

In the display, they already had put out some heart-shaped chocolate and other typical Valentine's/White Day candy.

The reason Kluke had come out here was to get an idea for what to do. Bouquet seemed to know what she was doing, but Kluke wasn't sure at all.

She'd heard of White Day. There were a few girls in Talta who celebrated it regularly, and sometimes foreigners passing through would talk about it when it was near time. But, with more important festivals like the Tsuyu, White Day was a holiday that was usually overlooked.

Kluke could remember making chocolate for Shu when she was three or four. He'd pretended to like it, but had barely swallowed it, like most of her cooking. She had thought of trying again when she was older, but once Shu had a grasp on the concept of love (which had been a painstaking process), Kluke had decided against it; she didn't want him to get the wrong idea or anything... Because that _would_ be wrong the idea, right?

She sighed in frustration, leaning her head against the glass. Things had definitely been easier when she lived in Talta. If she was there right now, she wouldn't even be worrying about this stupid day.

"Excuse me, miss...?"

"Y-yes?" Kluke looked up, seeing a woman wearing an apron with the shop name on it; she must've worked at the store.

"Please don't lean on the glass."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kluke backed away worriedly.

"It's just that the glass is very fragile, otherwise it would be okay."

"I understand. Um... Can I ask you a question?"

The woman seemed a little surprised. "I guess so."

"How... How do you make chocolate?"

"Well... It's pretty easy, especially once you get the hang of it. If you're making chocolate for White Day, it's a little more tricky, since you usually want to dress it up."

Kluke looked at her feet for a moment, running an idea through her head. She lifted her eyes. "Would you teach me how to make it... if I worked in the store?"

**Wow, that last idea just hit me suddenly. I hadn't planned on doing that at all. But with this new plot idea, I just might be able to draw this out. ;) I think I might even have another idea for a different story. But with this story... I'm starting to like it a lot more than I had originally, and I think this will carry on for a good amount of time. I'll start working on the next chapter ASAP, and then I'll seriously focus on the chapter after 10 hits. So... I'll see you then. Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions in a review! :D**


	5. The Steps to Success

**Here's Chapter 5; I'm sorry I didn't have it up sooner. I got a little writer's block again... But I'm over it now. It probably helped that I watched Episode 43 of Season 2 yesterday... That was a really dire episode, but the artwork was good, and it thoroughly put me in a Blue Dragon mood. With that, I think it's time for the review replies.**

**WindGoddess Rune: **Yep, work it is. Something going wrong, you say? Hm... Well, we'll see. Nothing bad will happen to Kluke, but it might be worth worrying about the store. And she isn't doing too much in this chapter, but you'll see what Bouquet is up to fairly soon. ;)

**The Flying Frog: **Hello, (The) Flying Frog. I'm glad that I have your attention (and your reviews). No worries about the reviewing; even if you don't review, I'm just happy that someone's reading it. I'm thinking about holding out on getting DVDs for Blue Dragon - it's not really my decision, but never mind that right now - since the only ones I've seen available are the edited episodes. I don't mind editing too much; some scenes in the original were a little much, but I've seen worse. But what Viz did with Blue Dragon... Ugh. I'm a big fan of Megumi Oohashi (she did the background music for the Japanese version of the Blue Dragon anime), and they cut out _all _of her music. At least they didn't cut out Nobuo's music; that would've been really bad. Another bad thing: they edited Bouquet's chest. This would've been kind of fine with me, but whole scenes were cut and changed because of it. For now I think I'll stick with trying to watch episodes online (they had stopped subbing the series at Episode 24, but I heard a new fansub group is going to pick up the series). But, I'll stop ranting now. Sorry. Anyway, I guess it is kind of similar to that event in the game (though I think those might've been cookies), but the chocolate making idea was actually contributed to by an episode from an anime called Mahoromatic. Man, I _loved _those scenes in Devour Village. And Sahlia (the NPC) is one of my favorite characters from the game; I'm so happy she's going to be playable in Blue Dragon Plus. Sorry (again) for the long reply, and I'll try to do my best with the story. :)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman: **Hello to you, too! Nice to see you again! :D Aw... Thanks. By the way, how many very's were you aiming for? Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it (I wish I could make that face with the closed eyes; the website won't recognize the arrows you use for the eyes). I update quickly if I can. I'm not trying to make the story more popular by updating all the time (something I read from the fan fiction author JudasFm); I just know what it's like to wait for months and months for a story to be updated, and I know that's not a good feeling. I've been really busy, too, and very stressed out; but writing seems to be very good stress reliever (for me, at least). And your reviews seem to have the same effect for me that my stories do for you. Thank you for being so nice! :D There's replies up for all of your reviews except for Chapter 5 of _Troubles on White Day_ and Chapter 2 of _Shu and Kluke: Precious Memories_, but I'll reply to them as soon as Chapter 6 and Chapter 3 are up (respectively). Shuangtv... I think I've heard of that before. I've been using Youku for a long while now. ;) About the translating... I'm sorry! I think I forgot to reply to that part of your review. I think some fansubbers are going to take up the series, but please go ahead and translate the episodes! I've had to do the same thing with Word for the Season 1 episodes (translating Spanish to English), so I don't mind much. We can both use it until they finish the subs! XD If you send it by PM/e-mail, please be careful how you send it. WindGoddess Rune tried to send me some pictures, but I couldn't see them. You could try to send it as an attatchment or something... I don't know. I'd like to see it, so I'm willing to try however many times it takes. I'm sorry for the long reply, but I am looking forward to replying to your other reviews (this is the first one I'm doing).

**Okay, there are the replies. More will be added if anyone else reviews, but you probably know that by now. So, after the annoying disclaimer, we can get on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: Is anyone even reading these? I hope so, because it's taking a lot to think these things up. But, yeah... I don't own Blue Dragon. Pass go, collect 200... Oh, wait. I'm sorry, that's the wrong game. Just to be safe, I don't own Monopoly either. **

"Hey, has anyone seen Kluke?" Shu looked at everyone around the room.

"I thought you would know, maro." Marumaro didn't even look at him, keeping his eyes on the ceiling from his position on the bed.

"Of course I don't know! That's why I'm asking! Besides, what do you think I am, her babysitter?" Shu crossed his arms over his chest.

"Honestly, I thought it was the other way around." Jiro didn't look at him, either; he was sitting on the ground, leaning his back against Marumaro's bed and reading.

"Can I get an answer to a question without getting a snide remark from either of you?" Shu glared at them.

"I think she said she was going out for a while." Zola offered.

Shu sighed. "So, what am I supposed to do now...?"

"This is boring, maro," Marumaro hopped off his bed. "I'm going to look for Bouquet, maro."

Once he had left the room, everyone simultaneously started counting to ten. They'd gotten to three when Bouquet screamed.

* * *

"Perverted little gremlin..." Bouquet grumbled as she straightened out her clothes. Throwing cooking utensils seemed to be a very efficient way of scaring off Marumaro; she'd have to remember to ask Kluke if she could occasionally borrow that frying pan once the competition was over.

She'd looked through several recipe books, and she still couldn't find what she wanted. If she was only making the chocolate for Jiro and Marumaro, she wouldn't worry. But if it was for Shu... This had to be perfect.

Bouquet sighed, massaging a cramp in her neck. "If only Obachan was here... I'm sure she'd know the best chocolate recipe... But I won't give up!" she turned her attention back to the book. "If I can't find a recipe, I'll make one. I think I might remember a thing or two from Obachan..."

* * *

Kluke had a headache. A very, very bad headache. Fortunately, it wasn't a relapse of the SCI. But she was starting to think it might be just as bad.

Right after talking with that woman, Kluke had been hired to work at the shop. Her position hadn't been confirmed yet, since they had to see what her skills were.

It turned out that the lady was actually the owner of the store, which had taken Kluke a little by surprise. It wasn't that unusual, but... she just didn't seem like the kind of person who owned a business.

After Kluke had donned an apron, Helen (her new boss) had whisked her into the kitchen. That was where the trouble had began.

Like it usually happened when Kluke tried to learn how to cook, everything that was told to her sounded fuzzy. If she read, the words blurred together. She'd actually passed out reading a cookbook once.

When Helen had asked her if she wanted to try her hand at making a batch, Kluke had gotten so upset that her new boss had quickly suggested she take a break.

So, that's how she'd ended up on the couch in the employee break room, trying to rub away the pain radiating from her forehead.

"What am I going to do? I don't remember anything that Helen said. Oh, I'll never be able to beat Bouquet like this!"

"You shouldn't worry, Kluke," she jumped as Helen entered the room. "Sorry. But, White Day is still a week and four days away. You still have time."

"But, I... Well, you see, I got into this competition with a friend of mine. We're supposed to make chocolate for these three boys we know."

"That doesn't sound very traditional."

"That's what we told her. Anyway, the problem is that she's a pretty good cook; everything I touch in a kitchen seems to be cursed." Kluke scowled. "She probably did it on purpose. Because she knew I couldn't cook, she knew that she would win no matter what."

Helen smiled knowingly. "Well, that's no big deal. I didn't know how to cook until I was at least twice your age."

Kluke's eyes widened. "Really? But... you own a candy store, where _you_ make the candy. I tasted some of the stuff from earlier, and it's delicious. It seems like it would come to you naturally."

"I never thought I would be as good as I am now. But, with a little practice and determination, I managed to get enough that I could call it a skill. Everything flowed from there. Now, come on," Helen winked. "We better hurry if we're going to teach you how to cook."

**Well... I didn't actually care for this chapter that much, but I think it's at least readable. I finally figured out a name for my OC (who was there by accident in the first place), so that's one good thing. I have some ideas for next chapter, so I'll start writing them pretty soon. I've got three other stories that I'm supposed to write, so it may take a while. But I'm still going to aim for the 10-hit mark. Hope you liked it, and I'll see you next chapter. :D**


	6. Our Burdens to Bear

**Chapter 6 at last! I wanted to get it out sooner, but I've been busy, and I had to update and write the other stories. So... yeah. Let's just get to the review replies, shall we?**

**The Flying Frog:** Yeah, I guess so. Though Bouquet just _thinks_ she has problems. ;) Don't worry; she won't be doing much customizing. But, Kluke on the other hand... When you go into hiding, bring me with you. Yes, it won't be pretty. Especially with Kluke. ;)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** And I'm glad you're reading it! :D I don't actually know which one showed up first; I read all of your last reviews around the same time. Kluke definitely shouldn't give up, but that doesn't mean that she isn't going to cause a little trouble for herself and everyone around her. ;) Yeah, the three of them seem to get into fights often, so I thought I'd pop that scene in there. And when I watch the anime, Shu and Jiro's fights are always entertaining. ;) If it's in the game, I just worry. I'm not really sure when this will be finished, but like I said, I'm planning on drawing it out a little longer; I've really started to enjoy writing this. Here's the next update, and, in your words, long live Blue Dragon! :D (PS: I read your updated profile, and I have two notes for you concerning it. One, I have two Jiro x Bouquet fan fictions in the works, one of which will probably be uploaded after I finish _Troubles on White Day_, though possibly sooner. Two, I'd really like to see some Blue Dragon fan fiction from you; you seem like a big Blue Dragon fan, and you've been so nice to me, so I'd love to read anything you wrote for the series. I wouldn't care for a Jiro x Shu too much... but I might skim through it as a courtesy to you. I don't really like yaoi that much, but I'd at least drop a review for you; I'll pretend it's brotherly. ;) )

**WindGoddess Rune: **Thanks. Episode 43 had a big spoiler in it, so I don't want to give it away, in case there are people reading this who haven't watched that far. If you really want to know, I can e-mail/PM you with the information or the link for where I watched it. Also, Prince of Tennis' Shaman might tell you; they watched the episode just yesterday.

**motorcycle demon:** No worries; I've got a Shu x Sahlia oneshot in the works right now. ;) And they're my favorite pairing in the game, so there will likely be at least some hinted Shu x Sahlia in _Blue Dragon Beyond_ and its sequel. I might've been planning that already, though; it's supposed to be a surprise, so I'm not going to say until I reveal the pairings with the surprise pairing. ;)

**ultimashadow:** Thanks. :) I wanted to keep some of Bouquet and Marumaro's "interactions" from the original Japanese version, but I didn't want anything explicit because I'd have to change the rating to T, though I might have to do that anyway if Bouquet turns invisible or does something off the wall. I don't really like writing anything perverted like that; plus, it's much more funny if you leave it to your imagination. I don't know how you'll like this chapter compared to the last one, but it should be pretty good.

**Okay, there are the replies. Whew! *insert brow-wiping here* I guess that's everything except the disclaimer, so let's get to the story!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Blue Dragon, I wouldn't have to try and think of a witty disclaimer every other day.**

It was already a half hour into sunset by the time Kluke got out of the shop. And frankly, she felt like she'd been run over by a cockatrice flock.

She made tracks through the snow as she dragged her feet. A few people passing by stopped and stared, but she was too tired to care about it.

It was so cold... How could it be so cold? She wanted to go back to Talta... it was warm in the desert.

She couldn't begin to describe her relief when she saw the inn. So much relief that she promptly collapsed to her knees when she got inside.

"Kluke, you're back!" Shu jumped off of his bed, running over to her. "I was so bored, and you were gone all day! Where did you go, anyway?"

"Candy..." she sighed out, the only thing she could manage to say.

"I'd like some candy, mar- ow!" Marumaro held his knee where Jiro had kicked him.

Jiro knelt down in front of Kluke. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm..." Kluke's eyes slid shut as she fell forward.

"Kluke!" Shu and Jiro yelled her name at the same time, but Jiro was the one to catch her.

"What's going on?" Zola entered the room, Bouquet close behind.

"Kluke fainted, maro!" Marumaro pointed wildly towards the entrance, where Jiro was trying to hold up Kluke as she slumped forward, while Shu glared at both of them.

"Kluke!" Bouquet shot forward so fast she nearly shoved Zola out of the way. "How dare you try and seduce Jiro so early?! The competition hasn't even been going on for a day!"

"Bouquet, this is serious!" Shu yelled at her. "The SCI is probably messing with her!"

"Darling, she's trying to trick you!"

"You think this is a trick?!" Jiro ground out through his teeth.

"Don't be stupid," Bouquet waved her hand dismissively. "It's easy to faint. Girls do it all the time."

"I'd like for Bouquet and Kluke to faint on me, maro."

"Shut up." Jiro snapped at him. Despite himself, he could feel his face heating up.

"Jiro, let me see her," Zola held her arms open, where Jiro was all to eager to hand over Kluke. "Let's get her into bed. We'll ask Kluke what happened when she wakes up."

* * *

They waited several hours for Kluke to wake up, but she never did, so Zola brought a doctor to see her. After a quick examination, he determined that she was just overtired and needed rest; a good night's sleep and she'd be fine.

On that note, the group had a quick dinner, then went to bed themselves.

Everyone was asleep. Except for one person.

Bouquet was laying on her side, biting at her nails. 'I can't believe this... I thought I had this in the bag, but that _sneak_ decided to play dirty! Well, fine... If that's how she wants to do it, then we can take this to a whole new level.' With a quiet huff, she angrily threw the covers over her head.

* * *

"_Obachan!" she ran up to her grandmother, wrapping her arms around her waist._

"_Bouquet-chan, I've missed you... It's only been a year, but you've gotten so big!"_

_She giggled. "That's because I'm a big girl!"_

_The old woman held a finger to her chin. "But, what am I to do? I had all of these sweets that I was going to make with my granddaughter, but she's been replaced by this big and mature young lady!"_

"_I'm not that big, Obachan! I want to make candy with you!"_

"_Well... I suppose we could at least go into the kitchen..." she smiled knowingly._

" '_Kay!"_

_For three years they had played this game, and it always ended the same way; they would go into the kitchen and Bouquet would say that she was "pretending to be little again" so she could make chocolate with her grandmother._

_She watched the chocolate carefully as it boiled. "One day, you'll find a nice boy to make chocolate for every year."_

_Bouquet had been too young to understand then, so she just tilted her head in curiosity._

_Her grandmother chuckled. "Why don't you do me a favor and get some cinnamon from the closet?"_

"_Okay!" she hopped down from the little box she'd pulled up._

_The doorknob was high to her, so Bouquet had to stand on the tips of her toes; when the door opened, she stumbled forward._

"_Obachan... it's too dark in here. I can't see."_

_The door slammed behind her. She cried out in fear, startled. Once the initial shock had worn off, she tried to bang against the door. "Obachan! Obachan, help me!" _

_When she saw a red light behind her, she turned around slowly. She screamed at the sight._

_A dark tunnel filled with mirrors, mirrors that held fire in their reflections._

_Not able to go back, Bouquet ran forward through the tunnel. She was crying, afraid of this horrible place._

_As she got further through the tunnel, more of the fire mirrors appeared; it was like they were chasing her._

"_Mommy, Daddy, Obachan... Where is everyone?!" _

_That was when she heard a voice, one that was very familiar, saying a phrase that she knew by heart:_

"_Bouquet, I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but... Your family has been in an accident..."_

* * *

She woke up with a start, almost rolling out of the bed before she remembered where she was.

Bouquet sat up, wiping some of the sweat from her forehead. She hadn't had that dream in a few years.

In the Ra Clan, dreams were considered to be very important things; even the most silly dream had a meaning. If she'd been able to talk to the elders, she might've been able to figure out what this one meant. But she was far from any of them, so she had to go by early teachings and instinct. Unfortunately, it wasn't really getting her anywhere.

She closed her eyes, clutching her hands to her chest. "Obachan... Please give me guidance."

**Wow. The last part was more serious than I had originally intended. The dream that Bouquet had was going to be in a different story, but I decided to put it in this one. I **_**will**_** reference it, though. Two other stories will have her having the same dream; since **_**Troubles on White Day**_** is a separate entity from the other two stories, she will never have had it in those timelines. I might write out the whole dream, or I might just have a note saying "see dream in Chapter 6 of **_**Troubles on White Day**_**", I'm not sure. I would appreciate some advice about that, though. Anyway, it looks like once Bouquet gets over her dream, she'll be carrying out what she was planning before she went to sleep. This will undoubtedly mean trouble for someone. Also, how's Kluke going to deal with her job? And Jiro. ;) We'll see; I haven't started the next chapter yet, but I've got a load of ideas. I'm always up for comments and suggestions, too, so leave a review if you like. Another thing is that there's something I'd like to ask you, the dear readers: Should I move **_**Troubles on White Day**_** and **_**Shu and Kluke: Precious Memories**_** to the Anime section of Blue Dragon? I didn't know that there was a Blue Dragon category in the Anime section, otherwise I would've put it there in the first place. I'd really like some advice on this, so if you review, please tell me what you think in addition to whatever else you were going to say. Thanks! Next chapter should be up shortly after this one reaches 10 hits. Bye for now!**


	7. Payback

**Hi, everyone! Sorry it took me so long to get this up. So many complications... but you don't want to hear about that, do you? Of course you don't. So, let's get to the replies!**

**WindGoddess Rune: **I know, it's so sad. :( I figured that something must've happened to her family, otherwise she wouldn't have been working in the restaurant like that; even though the world of Blue Dragon has different standards than ours, it still seems a little unusual for a 10-year old to have a job. But Shu goes into the Resistance when he's 12, so... Oh, I don't know. It just seems like she would've at least said something to her parents. Never mind, though; I'll elaborate on the whole story with Bouquet's family at a later date (but not in this story). I don't know why you couldn't get the link... It must be something with the site. I couldn't see the website that you sent me, but I've seen other pictures of Himiko - some magazine scans, and she was in the trailer for Blue Dragon: Ikai no Kyojuu. I still haven't seen her Shadow, though (well, I did see a silhouette).

**The Flying Frog:** Thank you. *blushes* Well... That's okay. Yes, Shu is probably more brash, though he becomes very mature in season two (more than in season one and his game version). I got a little confused with this next part of your review, because I couldn't figure out what you were talking about, but... um... thanks? I'll work with it anyway. As for where I watch it... YouTube, Veoh and Youku. Youku I usually use if I can't wait for the episode to go anywhere else, because it's usually uploaded several hours after the new episodes air in Japan. YouTube I usually go to so I can comment on videos, because it's the only place I have an account. But Veoh is probably the best one, because it has a much, much higher quality than Youku, and the episodes aren't broken up into three parts like they are on YouTube - the only problem is that it's a long wait sometimes. Overall, I'd suggest Veoh, though. :)

**ultimashadow:** Thanks! I reviewed your new story, too. ;) Like I said there, looking forward to the carnival one... and is it game or anime?

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Hi to you, too! Aw... That's so nice. There was something above a trillion, but I forgot what it was. Your reviews give me encouragement, and spur me on to write better chapters! :) I think a lot of the problems with this chapter and the following ones was that I lost confidence without your reviews. Not that I'm pressuring you to review or anything; believe me, I know how it is to get too busy to come online. But, try to come around when you get the chance. :) Yay!! I'm looking forward to it! Well, like I said ealier, I like the episodes that Miyako Tsuji worked on, but there's no reason not to watch the other ones if I can understand them. ;) So, yeah - you can start from the beginning, or any order you prefer. Don't worry about it being inaccurate; I've been learning some Japanese, so I'll be able to make it out. ;) I've been having a problem getting files through that, but I'm hoping it'll come through. If it doesn't work, just write the whole thing out and send it like that.

**Alright, there are the replies. With that, we'll get on with the pestering disclaimer, and to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon. How could I make a Japanese game/anime if I haven't finished learning Japanese yet?**

**_Edit: I've decided to change the scene with Bouquet and Shu after they read the P.S. of Kluke's note. After reading some reviews, I agree, and have decided that Shu's response to Bouquet was too dramatic (is it any coincidence that I wrote that scene during my writer's block?). Readers should also keep in mind that a side effect of the SCI is that it makes you slightly hormonal, so at times, neither Shu nor Kluke are thinking clearly. Plus, Shu was upset, and felt like Bouquet was pushing her "fiance" stuff on him; that little extra thing pushed him over the edge. Regardless, the scene is changed and will hopefully be a more enjoyable read. I didn't like it much, either, so changing it wasn't that big of a loss (besides, the change was minor). So, I apologize and hope you like this better._**

**_Edit 2: Darn it... I'm about five seconds from scraping this whole chapter. After The Flying Frog's helpful (and nice) review of chapter eight, I've made another correction. Sorry about this. Hopefully there won't be too many more of these notes._**

**_Edit 3: Okay... The only edit to this was the review replies. I don't remember if anyone saw the original review replies, but for some reason, I lost all of them. So I went back and corrected it by memory to the best of my abilities... It might be a little different now, so you might want to take a look. ;)_**

**_Edit 4: Ugh... This site is so weird sometimes. I found the missing review replies; somehow they ended up at the bottom of the document. But I've fixed it now, so you can disregard Edit 3._**

When everyone woke up, Kluke was already gone. She did leave a note:

_Already left for work. Sorry for the trouble. -Kluke_

"Can you believe her?" Bouquet snorted after Zola finished reading it. "She makes everyone worry like that, and then she just ups and leaves in the morning without even saying goodbye in person."

"I thought you said she was faking." Jiro shot her a sideways glance.

"Sh-she was!" Bouquet stuttered.

"Oh man..." Shu's shoulders slumped. "Now I have to go through another day without her here. Doesn't she know that I don't have anything to do when she isn't around?"

"Don't worry, Darling," Bouquet sidled up to him. "We can spend the day together."

"Uh... no, that's alright." Shu backed away.

"She didn't even say why she passed out..." Jiro looked away, something flickering in his eyes.

Bouquet saw; she smirked. "I told you. Girls can faint at will."

"Look, I felt her fall in my arms and it was pretty real!" He glared at her.

Shu shot daggers at him with his eyes. "Well, if it bugs you so much, why didn't you just let her fall to the ground?"

"B-both of you shut up!" Jiro blushed, crossing his arms and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Hey, look, maro! There's something written over here, maro." Marumaro pointed to the back of the paper.

_P.S. Don't get into trouble, Shu._

Shu trembled with rage. Was that all she thought he was? A baby, to be looked after and taken care of? She probably didn't think of Jiro like that. Of course she didn't; even if she couldn't trust Shu to catch her, she could rely on _Jiro_.

Bouquet laid a hand on his shoulder. "Shu..."

"Would you just leave me alone?" Shu shrugged away her hand, stepping even further away.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Jiro uncrossed his arms.

"You know better than anyone what's 'gotten into me'!" Shu shouted at him.

"Shu, I need you to do something for me," Zola interrupted. "The medicine for you and Kluke is running low. I want you to go with Marumaro to pick it up."

"Why do I have to go, maro?!" Marumaro whined.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about it too much," Zola smiled knowingly. "White Day is coming up soon, so there will be a lot of girls out shopping..."

"Shu, let's go, maro!!" Marumaro had already grabbed his hand, running so fast he was already in front of the door.

"Marumaro, wait!" Shu's yelling started to fade as they got further from the inn.

"Why did you do that?" Jiro looked towards Zola once they had left.

"Well, I thought it was probably a good idea for them to get some fresh air," Zola started walking away. "Boys their age, and yours, shouldn't be cooped up all the time."

"If that's true, than why am I still here?" Jiro mumbled. But Zola had already left.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bouquet still standing in the same spot she'd been in since Shu had walked out of her reach. She was hanging her head, and had been silent since she said Shu's name.

Sighing resignedly, he decided to try and talk to her. "Bouquet, you can't stay there all day."

"Why not?" her voice was quiet and monotone.

"Because people need to pass-" his stomach growled. Oh, of all the...

She seemed to perk up. "Are you hungry?"

"...Yeah."

"Hang on a minute." she walked off.

When she didn't return, he shrugged and went to lay on his bed; he found that a good book solved most things.

A few minutes later, he was interrupted by the sounds of clanging metal. He sat up, propping himself up with his elbows. Why was it so hard for him to get any peace?

He waited a little while, where the banging continued with cease. A few sounds joined it occasionally - namely, running water - and then it abruptly stopped.

Once it seemed like it was over, he pushed off the bed and walked quietly towards the door leading into the other rooms. He'd only got a few steps when the door burst open, knocking him over.

"Hello, Jiro-kun!" In her arms, Bouquet held a tray piled high with food.

"What is it with you people and the 'kun' thing?" he grumbled from his spot on the ground as Bouquet walked past him.

She set the tray on the table. "Here's your meal, dear."

Jiro gaped at her. "_Dear_?"

She turned and smiled at him warmly, eyes closed. "You shouldn't let your food get cold, darling."

Jiro shot up. "Wow, hold the phone! Darling... Y-you're supposed to call Shu 'darling', not me!"

"Shu isn't here right now." She took a step toward him, and he took a step back.

"Bouquet, you're really starting to creep me out." He tried to stop his voice from shaking, failing horribly.

Bouquet sighed with exasperation. "Come on, Jiro, at least eat the food."

He stopped trying to get away; that sounded more like her, at least. And he was hungry...

Eyeing her carefully every step of the way, Jiro walked over to the table where Bouquet had put the food, sitting down. He looked it over for a minute, then began to eat very slowly.

As soon as the first bite was in his mouth, he grabbed his cheek, eyes wide. "Bouquet... This is delicious. It's just the way my mother used to make breakfast."

"I used some old family recipes." She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Jiro looked at her quizzically. "What's wrong?"

She almost told him; the words had almost been out of her mouth, but she bit her lip. If anyone would understand, it would be him - he knew what it was like. She wasn't close with him at all, to say the least, but maybe that was why she almost told him instead of someone else. She didn't want to bother anyone else; they all had so much to handle already. But he was already shouldering this pain. If she told him, it wouldn't make any difference. "Nothing." her voice was tight.

"Well... Thank you for making this for me." he actually smiled.

Bouquet found herself blushing, though she didn't know why. "No problem."

* * *

From her spot in the hallway, next to the doorway, Zola chuckled.

Bouquet had asked her earlier, while they'd been looking for Kluke before they found the note, if Zola could help her get some time alone with Jiro; Zola had been curious, but hadn't questioned her about it.

From her position in the slight darkness, she could see how both of them were chatting together happily. Thinking back, Zola could remember Jiro being that happy only once since they had started traveling together. And, she had to admit, it was a nice sight to see.

**Whew! That part wasn't actually supposed to be that long, but the rest of what was supposed to happen this chapter will instead go in Chapter 8. So... Review if you like. I'd still like to know whether I should move this to the Blue Dragon category in the Anime section. I guess if enough people tell me to move it, I will. Otherwise, this and my other Blue Dragon stories will remain here. By the way, the "kun" was inspired by Episode 29 of season one (very funny scene). Well, next chapter we'll see how things are going with Kluke's job. And we'll check up on Shu and Marumaro's adventure in the pharmacy. ;) After 10 hits, chapter eight hopefully won't take as long as seven. See you then! :D**


	8. The Thrills of Life

**Well, here's chapter eight. Before I continue, I'd like to make an important note, so...**

**IMPORTANT NOTE: A line in chapter 7 has been removed and redone.**

**Okay... I did this mostly because of the scene with Shu and Bouquet last chapter. I didn't like him being that mean to her, so I decided to remove it since no one else seemed to either. Now that that's out of the way, we'll get to the replies.**

**The Flying Frog:** Yes, it was too ooc, which is something I hate unless the story calls for it. The scene has been changed, and there are notes/comments in Chapter 7 and 8 explaining it. If it still seems ooc, let me know, because I want to keep everyone as in-character as possible. Hmm... Bouquet developing feelings for Jiro? (_Bouquet: My Darling is the only one for me!_) Yes, dear, we all know. Please excuse her. :) The little "love square" that's going on is mostly my fault, caused by my indecision. When it comes down to it, I'll need help deciding who should go with who, but don't worry about it right now; I'll let you know when it's time. ;) Now, you see? This is why you have to watch the anime! In the anime, Shu, Kluke, Jiro, Marumaro and Bouquet are all 10. In Season 2, they're 12, because it's two years later. All of that aside, I don't agree with what the booklet says. If you're curious about what I think their ages are in the game, take a look at the second chapter of my fan fiction _Blue Dragon Beyond_. The thing with Shu was mostly the SCI; the sickness is partly caused by a hormonal imbalance. Still, it didn't seem right, but it should be fixed now. Please let me know if I need to fix it again.

**WindGoddess Rune:** I know, it was too mean. :( Like I was telling Flying Frog, it should be okay now. Can you also let me know if I need to fix it again? And you'll find out how Kluke's doing in this chapter.

**WindGoddess Rune:** Yeah; I remember the first time I saw Jiro smile in the anime (Episode 23). Too cute. :)

**ultimashadow:** Definitely. Things will start rolling in this chapter, but none of them are going to realize the storm that's coming until it's already hit them. Glad you're liking it. And I think you're the only one who didn't say anything about Shu's behavior last chapter. ;) I'd actually been talking about your story _Training Stinks!_, but I got your PM about it, so no worries.

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Okay; thank you. Um... I don't mind you sending it to me, but I don't know what Nanowrimo is. I've never read your stories, so I wouldn't really know if you did or not. That's namely because I've never seen Prince of Tennis or Shaman King (though I did see a few seconds of Shaman King on Fox years ago while I was waiting for another show). Thanks; I've been a big fan of Blue Dragon since me and my dad started playing the game, and I love watching the anime online. On a side note, would you believe I haven't finished the game yet? I usually take a long time with games. *scratches head sheepishly* I'm planning on getting Blue Dragon Plus ASAP once it's out, but I'm not going to start it until I finish the first one (though I'm going to try to finish it by February 24th). Thanks; I was worried that it wasn't plausible at all. Kluke has a bad temper anyway, so it's just not as noticable with her. ;) Originally, Shu had yelled "Get _off_ me!" and actually shoved her, but I edited it so that he was a little more docile; in fairness to him, he didn't even know it was her. Hope you like Chapter 9. :)

**Okay, those are out of the way now. Hopefully this will be a better chapter than last time; I'm so sorry about that! *insert crying here* Alright - here's to better things! Let's get on to the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon. Since I don't, we don't have to worry about any mishaps like my serious slipup last chapter.**

"Shu, why did you act like that around Bouquet, maro? She didn't do anything to you, maro." Marumaro had asked him once they had been walking for a while.

Shu sighed. "I don't know..." He wanted to forget about it; honestly, after Zola read Kluke's P.S., he'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he'd actually thought she was Jiro. "I guess the SCI is messing with me."

"That's not an excuse, maro!" Marumaro ran in front of him, blocking his path. "I can't believe you, maro! You're giving up on a hot girl like that, maro... Do you know what I'd do to be in your shoes, maro?!"

"I don't," Shu said flatly, several disturbing scenarios already having run through his mind when Marumaro said this. "Besides, there's nothing between me and her, not like that; she just thinks there is."

Marumaro snickered. "I don't know about that, maro... I think you like her, maro."

"W-what!?" Shu's face turned crimson. "Th-that isn't true!"

Marumaro rubbed his chin, still smirking. "I think it is, maro. Why else would you be blushing, maro! Admit it, maro: You like Bouquet, maro!" He pointed at Shu.

"I don't!" Shu practically wailed. "She's annoying... She's always going on about how we're each other's fiancé and one day we're gonna get married..."

"I wish I had a girl like that, maro..." Marumaro sighed dreamily.

"That's because you're weird and you're always chasing girls. Marriage isn't like that in my village," Shu folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Me and Kluke were brought up to believe that marriage is something sacred, not to be taken lightly."

"Me neither, maro." Marumaro's voice had become quiet.

"Really? I would've totally guessed." Shu said sarcastically, his arms folded behind his head.

"Marriage for a Devee is always arranged, maro," he spoke like he'd heard it a thousand times. "Once you're married, you stay with your partner for life, whether you like it or not, maro. It'll be the same for me, maro."

Shu's hands dropped. "Marumaro..."

"My parents have already chosen who I'm going to marry, maro. And we hate each others guts, maro."

"That's horrible."

Marumaro shrugged at this. "Not really, maro. It's one of the reasons I left home, maro; as long as I can see my parents and my siblings every once in a while, I don't really care, maro. I prefer traveling, anyway, maro," he smiled now. "It's the best kind of freedom, maro."

"So when you do all that perverted stuff you do, it isn't serious?"

" 'Course not, maro. I'm not so cruel as to lead a girl on, maro."

Shu sighed. "I still think it's awful. You should be able to marry who you want."

"Shu, look at me, maro," he continued when Shu did as he asked. "Whether it's Bouquet or Kluke or some other girl, when you decide who it is that you love, never let them go, maro. Hold on to 'em for both of us, maro." he grinned.

"Okay," Shu nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. "Thanks, Marumaro."

* * *

"..so I think this will turn out better than you doing the cooking right now. It's better to start out small, anyway. Oh, that reminds me; did you follow the instructions I gave you last night?"

"Um..." Kluke really didn't know how to tell her that she'd collapsed.

"Did you even look at the book?"

"N-no..."

Helen sighed. "Alright. We'll have you do some work, and then you can read during your break."

"Okay." Kluke nodded.

"So, come on over here," Helen went to stand in front of the conveyor belt. "Now, like I explained earlier, this chocolate isn't as good as the ones we make by hand. But we can get them out more quickly this way, so we use higher quality ingredients to make up for it. Anyway, what you're going to be doing is wrapping them. It's pretty easy; you just grab them and do this," she wrapped it quicker than Kluke could blink, than tossed it after the other ones going down the line. "And that's all there is to it. You have to be fast, though; things can get really messed up down the line if too many go by without being wrapped."

"What happens?" Kluke asked nervously.

"It's an issue with the machine. There had even been an accident when the store first opened. Don't worry about it, though; just focus on getting them done and you'll be fine."

"O-okay... Do you think you could show that to me in slow motion?"

Helen laughed. "Sure."

* * *

Marumaro sighed. He wanted to go and look for some girls really bad. But, instead, he was stuck on this dumb line. It wasn't helping his mood that Shu was freaking out about the cold, even though they were inside.

Shu cursed out loud. "It's too cold! I can't _take_ this!"

Another sigh. "Shu, it won't take that long, maro. Besides, Zola asked us to do this, maro. You don't want to make her mad, do you, maro?"

"Zola won't get mad if I leave! It's too cold in here!"

"Shu, people are starting to stare, maro!" Marumaro whispered harshly.

"Next."

"Please, Marumaro... Just tell her I was here."

"Next?"

"No, I am _not_ going to tell Zola you were here, maro! If I can't go look at girls, you can deal with a little chill, maro!"

"Next!!"

"Huh?" Shu looked over from where he was fighting with Marumaro.

"If you're not on line, then please stand off to the side." The pharmacist was glaring at them.

"Come on, maro." Marumaro tugged on Shu's wrist hard.

"I presume from that little episode that you're the ones who came for the SCI medicine?" he said, a little sarcastic.

"Yeah, maro," Marumaro was standing on the tips of his toes, desperately trying to see over the counter. "Can we have some, please, maro?"

"Well, I'm afraid to say, but we're all out."

* * *

Kluke giggled. "I was worried this was going to be a big deal... But, actually, it's not so bad."

After had Helen had shown her more slowly, it was easy to see how the wrapper went on, and it had been a breeze from there. She'd even been so confident in Kluke that she left her to do it by herself; they had a special shipment coming in anyway.

The shipment was very fragile, so almost all of the workers would be needed to get it inside quickly. Helen had been relieved that Kluke was there, since the machines probably would've had to be shut down if she wasn't.

"At this rate, I'll learn how to cook in no time. Then I'll beat Bouquet for sure!" Just the thought of it had put her in a good mood.

"Help!" someone yelled from outside.

"Oh, no," Kluke dropped the candy she was working on. "Someone's in trouble!" She sprinted towards the door, bringing out Phoenix only halfway, mostly a charge; if it wasn't that big of an emergency, she didn't want to reveal her Shadow without a good reason.

Outside of the store, she saw that everyone was trying to hold up a crate; apparently, some of the cables holding it down had snapped. Hoping that she had enough strength, Kluke ran over to help.

"Kluke!" Helen yelled when she had started trying to push the crate up. "What are you doing here?"

"It sounded like someone was in trouble, so I came to help!"

"I know, but the machine-"

As if on cue, there was an explosion.

**Cliffhanger, anyone? Okay, I don't know if it's much of one... This is one of my first stories, if not **_**the**_** first, remember? Anyway, next time we'll check up on Bouquet and Jiro back at the inn, then see how Marumaro and Shu will deal with the new problem at the pharmacy. And make sure that everything's okay with Kluke, of course. ;) Once more, I'd like to deeply apologize for last chapter, and please let me know if it needs to be changed again. *insert more crying here* Well... Let me know what you think of this chapter. Chapter 9 should be up a little while after this one reaches the 10 hit mark. See you then. :)**


	9. Accepting the Circumstances

**Well, here we are at Chapter 9. Honestly, I never expected this story to be so long. I don't know how much longer it will be, but I can finally see the end of it now. Of course, there's still all of the time between the current time in the story and White Day, so I'll have to figure that out. I do have a few reasonable excuses to skip days in the upcoming chapters, though; at least, I think I do. Anyway, let's go to the replies now...**

**The Flying Frog:** That's a relief. Again, I am so sorry that this happened. :( I'm worried about this chapter, too, so let me know if it's messed up. I went back and fixed that little problem (I am so _stupid_!). Thank you for letting me know. :) Thanks - I'm glad I've gotten back into my rhythm a little bit; the bad scene in chapter seven was mostly caused by writer's block, but I'm trying to turn my mistake into something good. I'd been planning on revealing that little gem I created about Marumaro in a different story, and the talk he has with Shu about it. But I was so worried about the messed up scene, I thought "Why not?", and it developed from there. Yes; it's so sad about Kluke... So hilariously sad. ;) Thank you - I'm glad you like it again. :)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Physically, she should be fine; even if the explosion did reach outside, Kluke's a Shadow User, so it'll take a lot more than that to do any harm to her. Shadow Users, at least in my theories, have a higher defense than a normal person, so it takes much more damage to hurt them. Plus, Phoenix would always come out and use Protect Feather if Kluke was in any real danger. ;) But as for her self-confidence... We'll have to see. You won't hear about Marumaro's fiancé too much more in this story. But maybe later. Oh yes, maybe later... ;)

**ultimashadow:** Thank you; I was so worried that everyone was going to be driven away after my bad writing in Chapter 7! I know; I think he's surprised all of us. (_Marumaro: I'm not an idiot, maro!_) Oh, of course not. *insert snickering here* Perish the thought. Oh, and that guy, like WindGoddess Rune said, is Konrad L. Lawrence. Notice that, unlike the dub, I still spell his name with a "k". Take _that_, Viz! :D

**WindGoddess Rune:** Yeah, I know. I think this is mostly a reply to ultimashadow's question, so there's not really much I can say. But like I told ultimashadow, I still spell his name with a "k".

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Yeah. I used to hate editing when I was younger, but now I'm more used to it, especially since other people will be reading what I wrote now. Good to know; I can never really tell. I guess the writer attempts to make one, and it's the reader who decides if it's a cliffhanger. Or something like that. Glad that you're excited enough about Chapter 9 to leave a shorter review. :) Yeah; I've always thought that Bouquet and Jiro had the potential to get along. In fact, I think Jiro would've befriended any of them if his family hadn't been killed. :( I hope you like this chapter, though.

**Okay, there are the replies. Like some of you may have noticed, I'm kind of paranoid after what happened with chapter seven. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist, so it's a big deal to me. If you think it still needs editing, tell me. And now I'm really worried about Chapter 9, so **_**please**_** let me know if something needs to be changed. Thanks in advance. After the disclaimer, it's story time!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon. Thank God, because, as you can see above, I am probably a perfectionist nut.**

Jiro sighed, leaning back in his chair. Really, he hadn't had a meal like that in ages. He'd cry if he wasn't so happy about it. And to think, that Bouquet was the one who made it for him... This had turned out to be a wild trip.

The running water stopped; Bouquet must've been done with the dishes. Which was true, as she came in only a few minutes later. She was wringing her apron and her skirt in her hands, biting her lip. "Jiro?"

Preparing himself for another conversation like the one earlier, since she had that look in her eyes again, he plunged on. "What's wrong, Bouquet?"

"You... You won't tell Darling about this, will you? About me making the food, I mean."

Jiro was so surprised he nearly laughed. Instead, he closed his eyes, smirking, and said, "Sure."

Just then, a loud bang could be heard from far off.

Jiro took his hands off his ears. "What the heck was that?"

"I think it was an explosion!"

* * *

"What do you _mean_ there's no more medicine?! Don't you people know that someone can get crazy and _die_ without it?!" Shu shouted at the pharmacist.

"I'm noticing." the pharmacist drawled lazily.

Marumaro was about five seconds from grounding his teeth down to nubs. _He_ was supposed to be the happy-go-lucky one! How was he supposed to do that if he was being forced into a corner (namely, becoming the mature one since Shu was losing it)? "Sir, we need this medicine very badly, maro."

"Well... We do have it in a different form."

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?!" Shu slammed his fists on the counter.

Marumaro screamed in frustration. "Shu-"

A large blast was heard from several doors away. The force was actually enough to bring everyone to the ground.

Shu sat up, Marumaro laying across his legs. "What the heck was that?"

"Sounded... like a... 'splosion, maro..." Marumaro fell on his back, dizzy.

"There was an explosion at that store over there!" Someone running outside yelled.

"Marumaro, come on!" Shu shook his friend's shoulder. "We have to go and see if everyone's okay; somebody might be hurt!"

* * *

As soon as the sound and shaking had died down, Kluke promptly slid to the snow-covered ground and began to sob.

She had been so close... This had been her chance to show up Bouquet, to prove to Shu that all of her cooking wasn't cursed. And to make Jiro, Marumaro and Zola like her just that little bit more. And now, it was all ruined.

She felt a hand placed on her shoulder. "Come on, kiddo. Let's go check the damage."

Kluke's crying slowed slightly, just enough so that her words were understandable. "I... I ruined everything..."

"No, you didn't. Come on, we're going to fix everything." Helen offered her hand.

Kluke looked at it for a moment; the scene was greatly familiar to something that had happened between her and Shu several years ago. On the eve of Pumpkin Day... She still remembered it well. She took Helen's hand. "Okay."

Once inside the shop, they paused in front of the door. "I don't know how bad the damage is, but I want you to know now that I'm not angry at you."

"How could you _not_ be?" Kluke asked miserably. "I destroyed your store."

"No, you didn't. Look around you; nothing's messed up. If anything has been ruined, it's inside here."

Helen took hold of the knob, turning it slowly. As soon as the door was open, a flood of chocolate crashed into them.

* * *

Zola looked up from where she was grabbing her sword when she heard her name called, Bouquet and Jiro running into the room.

"Zola, I think there's been an accident." Jiro sounded like he was out of breath.

"Did you hear that explosion?" Bouquet asked.

"Yeah. I was just on my way to get you two. We should check it out and see what happened."

"You don't think it's Grand Kingdom, do you?" Jiro folded his arms.

"I didn't think they would find us here, but it's certainly possible. There's only one way to find out."

* * *

"What do you _mean_ we can't go inside?!" Shu yelled at the worker, not realizing how this was an echo of his earlier argument.

The man bowed. "I'm very sorry, but we're experiencing some difficulties at the moment. We're asking everyone to come back later. The business will be up and running shortly."

"I keep telling you, I'm not here to buy!"

Marumaro sighed, the sigh of one who's accepted his fate - in this case, being stuck looking after Shu until they'd left this cold place and he was in his right mind again. "Shu, let's just go, maro."

"I'm not going anywhere!" Shu planted his feet firmly on the ground. "Not until I find out if someone's been hurt!"

"Young man, are you a medical professional?"

"Of course not!"

"Then even if someone is hurt, there's nothing you can do to help."

"Why, you - Hey, Marumaro!" Shu started to protest when the Devee started dragging him away by his waistcloth.

"I'm not going to get arrested because of you, maro." he replied through grated teeth.

"We're not going to get arrested! I just want to find out what's going _on_!"

"Then let's do it from a distance, maro!"

"Marumaro, if you don't let me go-"

"Shu! Marumaro!" They both stopped when they heard Zola calling them. She caught up to them in moments, Jiro and Bouquet with her.

Bouquet took care to keep Zola between her and Jiro, mostly because she felt guilty, but she still looked down at her feet; if Shu was going to treat her like that, than he deserved to feel as guilty as she did.

Shu noticed. He tried to focus his eyes on Zola, though he would switch to Jiro if he had to, even though at the moment Shu still hated him with every ounce of his being; jealousy, even though he wouldn't admit it.

"What's the situation?" Zola was strictly business. She knew that there was something going on with all these looks between the young ones, but she wanted to make sure that the pressing matter of possible injuries was dealt with first; emotional baggage could be dealt with later, with more efficiency.

"They won't let us in." Shu didn't realize it, but he was almost pouting.

"Maybe they would have if you'd stop going crazy, maro!"

"Marumaro, did you get the medicine for Kluke?" Bouquet asked quietly.

Everyone was very quiet for a few minutes.

Shu broke the silence, swallowing hard before he spoke. "Bouquet..." To put it bluntly, he felt like he'd been stabbed through the chest.

She ignored him, focusing only on Marumaro. "Did you get it?"

Marumaro sighed - he could feel a migraine coming on. "No, maro." He hadn't had to deal with anything like this since two of his sisters had gotten a crush on the same boy - the worst part had been telling them that their baby sister would be the one to marry him. And he was eternally grateful that things between his human companions probably wouldn't get that bad. Yet.

"Look, we can do this later," Jiro cut in. "Did anyone get hurt in that explosion?"

"I told you, they wouldn't let us in." Shu said flatly, eyes constantly darting towards Bouquet.

"All of you wait here for a minute," Zola strode towards the chaotic storefront. "I'm going to see if I can find anything out."

Once she had left, there was an awkward silence, one that no one was too intent on braking.

However, Zola was back shortly, if a little grudgingly. "No one seems to be injured, but they're still not letting anyone inside."

"Well, if there's nothing else we can do about that issue," Jiro nodded his head toward the pharmacy. "What are we going to do about the SCI meds?"

"I'll talk to them." Zola's patience was wearing thin, but she was willing to put up with this extra annoyance if it would help Shu and Kluke.

"Can I _please_ come with you this time?" Jiro asked her; he did _not_ want to be stuck with these three again!

"No; keep an eye on things for me. I'll only be a minute." she was already walking away.

Shu scuffed the snow with his shoe. "Of course she'd leave _Jiro_ in charge..."

Jiro snorted. "It's not like she can leave _you_ in charge."

The glare that Shu turned on him was so harsh that Jiro was actually shocked. "If you know what's good for you, you'll leave me alone."

"Are you threatening me?" Jiro took a menacing step forward.

"Jiro," Bouquet said his name so sweetly that it stunned all of them. "You shouldn't waste your time on him."

Seeing Shu on the verge of tears, Marumaro frowned at her. "You're only saying that to spite Shu, maro."

"Maybe," her voice turned cold. "But it's not like he doesn't deserve it."

Shu started running, ignoring Marumaro's yell. He would've made it, too, if Zola hadn't caught his arm.

"We'll talk when we get back," Zola said gently to Shu. Turning her attention to the rest of the group, she held up the bag, saying, "I got the medicine. Let's go to the inn and wait for Kluke."

**Well, chapter nine is finally done. I don't really know what to think anymore; like I've been saying, I'm paranoid now about whether everyone's in-character or not. So, if/when you review, let me know if this one is alright along with whatever else you were going to say. Next chapter will be up after while, and we'll finally be getting into double digits! :D I might have to do something special for the occasion. ;) See you then! **


	10. Finding Solutions

**Here we are at Chapter 10; we're in the double digits now! I just wish I was feeling better. Ow... So much pain... Yeah, I'm sick. I'm trying to get over it, but it hurts; I can't help it. That's part of why this chapter wasn't up sooner, although a lot of that is contributed to a little fear that whatever I write will further ruin whatever image this story has. Whatever it was in the first place. Let's just cut to the review replies.**

**The Flying Frog:** *sigh*... I thought I explained this. Short and simple, Shu's SCI is messing with him. I must be very unclear or something... Sorry if that's what it is. Still, I'm happy that you think it's at least good; better than it being horrible. :) Yeah, she is, but I have a feeling she's going to get a little in over her head. ;) Yeah, Shu's definitely jealous (which is another reason he's been angry like this; he's in a bad mood because of it), but not about Bouquet - her behavior is mostly shocking and hurting him. But he has no clue about what's going on between Bouquet and Jiro. ;) Well... Keep reading and you'll see; please don't give up on my story yet! Besides, your reviews are always so helpful; they let me know what I'm doing wrong. :)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Thank God someone understands the SCI! *cries* Sorry about that. But, yeah, it's affecting him bad. Don't worry about Grand Kingdom; they won't be causing any trouble in this fic. ;) Jiro didn't know what the explosion was, so he speculated it could be them. On a side note, I'm not entirely sure whether I'll do this, but I'm thinking of having a Rogi x Delphinium omake of sorts. Don't worry, no one's going to be turned chibi. ;) But, I'm just thinking of having it as a little extra scene at the end (in a seperate chapter, in case people don't want to read it). Let me know if you want it in or not.

**ultimashadow:** Thanks; I was still worried that no one liked this anymore, so it really cheered me up to read that. And yeah; I read and reviewed both of your oneshots. :)

**WindGoddess Rune:** I'm sorry for the wait. Like I said before, I'm hurting really bad, so it was hard to get it up. I did it, though! :D

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** I'm sorry, it would've made more sense before I edited chapter seven. Bouquet's fickle anyway, so try to pretend a little. I'm really sorry. :( Yes, Kluke's a walking hazard when it comes to food. But she's got a mean swing with that frying pan of hers. ;)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Thank you; I have a feeling that Chapter 11 is going to be much better now that I've read your reviews. ;) Yeah, I guess I am; I keep forgetting that _Troubles on White Day_ was a test run anyway. *sigh* ... If I could seriously draw, I probably would be, too. Most of my stuff is just scribbles. :P So embarrassing. Though I have three watercolors that I can look at proudly. :) Alright; I'll try not to. It's a little hard, since it seems that several people in my family (very much including me) are chronic worriers. I'll try to do my best. Yeah; like I mentioned before, _Troubles on White Day_ is just practice. _Blue Dragon Beyond_, however, is my pride and joy of the Blue Dragon Game fandom. I haven't even gotten out my main series for the anime yet, though I want to finish _Troubles on White Day_ before I upload it. Thanks; I'm actually just going with what I feel. It seems to work out (half the time), so I just keep doing that; most of the chapters have hardly any editing at all, save for the famously doomed paragraph of Chapter 7. But you said not to worry about that, so I'm going to try not to. :) Hope you like Chapter 10!

**Okay - ow - review replies are done. I hope that this chapter turns out well. I know that the quality of the chapters has been going down, but I'm feeling really bad, so this one might even be worse. But I'll let you be the judge; you guys seem to know what I'm doing more than I do. ;) So, after the disclaimer, on with the - ow - story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own - ow - Blue Dragon. I'm too sick to think of anything else.**

When Kluke came to, her head felt like it'd been hit with a hammer. Opening her eyes, she could see that her clothes and skin were covered in chocolate. She promptly shrieked.

The scream was enough to wake Helen, who shook her head as she sat up. "Kluke, is that you? Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah," she replied shakily, pulling at her skirt. "I'm just going to need a really long bath."

"Me, too. I've got some nice soap I could lend you." she winked.

That made Kluke laugh. "I guess that means you're not angry at me."

"I already told you I wasn't," Helen stood, offering her hand, which Kluke took. "We should probably try to clean this up. Wait here for a minute and I'll get some help."

* * *

It was late when they'd finished; Helen had said to leave the book and she'd read it to Kluke when she came in for work tomorrow. Kluke wasn't that thrilled about it, but after what had happened today, it had to be better than working the conveyor belt.

She still felt like she'd been run over by a cockatrice flock, albeit one that had dumped buckets of chocolate on her, but she was more used to it now than yesterday; at least she probably wouldn't pass out when she got back.

When she made it there, she could feel the tension in the room as soon as she'd stepped inside. It wasn't that obvious by looking, but she was able to detect it.

Jiro talked to her first. "Where have you been?" He raised an eyebrow as he took in her appearance. "And why are you all dirty like that?"

Kluke blushed. "I had a little accident. That's why I'm late, too."

"You're not going to faint this time, are you, maro?" Marumaro looked at her a little warily.

"I already told you, she was faking!" Bouquet yelled, shaking her fist.

"No, I'm fine," Kluke glared at Bouquet sideways, then turned her attention back to Jiro. "Where's Shu and Zola?"

Jiro sighed, already annoyed just thinking about it. "Shu's been going crazy, so Zola took him into another room to talk. Maybe she'll force some sense into him. By the way, she solved the problem with the medicine; you and Shu will just have to take pills."

"The SCI is probably what it is." Kluke frowned, though; the illness affected hormones, but Shu had been taking the medicine. So what was wrong with him?

Everyone looked over when Marumaro held in a laugh.

"You're not going crazy, too, are you? Well, crazier." Jiro added the last part under his breath, but loud enough to hear.

Chortling, Marumaro replied, "Shu's jealous of Jiro, maro."

"We all knew that already." Jiro shrugged. "I'm smarter than him; he has every right to be jealous."

"Any modesty left in there?" Bouquet looked at him through lidded eyes.

He smirked. "I'm only stating a fact."

"What do you mean he's jealous?" Kluke asked, ignoring the exchange.

Marumaro was still snickering, biting his lip and holding his stomach. "Shu's jealous of Jiro and _you_, maro."

"What?" Kluke took a step back.

Jiro looked away from her. "If that's true, then Shu's just acting like a spoiled brat throwing a temper tantrum. What was I supposed to do, let her fall to the floor? And the times we talked... It's my business who I spend time with."

Kluke glanced at Jiro from the corner of her eye. She'd liked Jiro since they'd first met, even if he wasn't always the nicest of people; there had just been something about him that called to her, possibly his troubled past (though she hadn't found out about that until they arrived in Grand Kingdom). But she'd never actually thought about _how much_ she liked him... And she wasn't sure if she wanted to delve into that too much... Agh! She'd never been thinking things like this before this stupid holiday!

Back outside of Kluke's thoughts, Bouquet was yelling at Jiro. "Don't talk about my Darling like that!"

"I thought you were angry at him." Jiro looked at her with one eye closed and the other open.

"I-I am! But that doesn't mean he isn't my fiancé anymore!" She argued back.

Kluke sighed. Why, oh _why_, was she surrounded by these crazy people?

It was at that moment that Zola came in with Shu. "What did I miss this time?"

Shu made no move to greet them; he just looked at his feet, very quiet.

Her response was in the form of Marumaro falling to the floor, laughing his head off.

* * *

"For the love of... Shu, if you don't get out of there right now, I will break this door down!" Jiro pounded on the door with his fist.

"I'm not done yet!"

"What are you _doing_? You've been running water for half an hour straight, and that's not even counting the time before you started this time!"

"I told you, I'm not done yet! Leave me alone!"

With a scream of frustration, Jiro threw himself against the door with his back.

"Knock it off, Jiro!"

Kluke sighed from where she was practicing boiling water in the kitchen (which was one of her "practice exercises" from Helen), able to hear the two boy's shouts from two rooms away. This exact episode had happened every morning for several days; by now, she could almost rehearse it.

It had been four days since the explosion at the sweets shop, and she'd actually been doing quite well; she'd achieved a regular boil, and was now just aiming for a rolling boil. The only difficult things in her life right now were Shu and Jiro.

With Jiro, after that little thought had invaded her mind the night of the chocolate explosion, she was starting to think she was getting a crush on him. And she was afraid that several choice incidents since then confirmed it.

With Shu, he had been acting very erratic - he had been quiet ever since Zola's talk with him, but then he would suddenly explode for no reason at all. She just didn't understand it; treated SCI didn't behave like this. She'd thought that it could be his _other_ condition, but... No. No, she wouldn't talk about that, not even in her thoughts. Besides, there probably wasn't much connection to that and what was happening to Shu now.

"What are you doing?" Bouquet yawned, startling Kluke.

"N-nothing." She kept her eyes trained on the pot of water.

"It doesn't look like nothing." She leaned over Kluke's shoulder, then furrowed her brows in confusion. "Are you boiling water?"

"You must be a genius if you figured that one out." Kluke said sarcastically.

Bouquet glared at her. "I was just asking. You don't have to get snippy." She pushed herself up onto the counter, sitting down and straightening out her skirt. "Anyway, what are you boiling it for?"

"Nothing." Kluke's voice told her to leave it alone.

Of course, Bouquet didn't. "Nothing? What a waste of water." Then a thought struck her, as she realized what Kluke was doing. She put her hand over her mouth, eyes mocking. "You wouldn't be trying to make chocolate, would you?"

"I told you, I'm not making anything," Kluke said tightly. "I'm just boiling water."

"Finally!" Jiro yelled suddenly. "Are you checking the bathroom out for renting or what?"

"Stuff it." Shu bumped shoulders with him as he brushed by.

"Yeah, I accept your apology." Jiro said as he slammed the door behind him.

When Shu got near the kitchen, he hid behind the doorway after he heard Bouquet's voice.

"... not going to win, you know."

"Get lost. You're bothering me." Kluke; Shu realized they must be having another argument.

"You thought that little fainting act with Jiro was funny? Well, I've got news for you; I have more tricks up my sleeves than you'd ever imagine."

"Considering how long they are, I wouldn't be surprised."

A short pause. "I'll pretend you didn't say that. But, I thought I should let you know that you aren't playing your game the right way."

"And how am I supposed to play it?" At this point, Kluke sounded like she was answering just on the chance that it would end the talk sooner.

"Obviously not the way you are," Bouquet snorted. "It's fine if you want to seduce a boy, but you don't drive away one of the others in the process."

"What do you mean?" Kluke was half curious, half worried. Of course, she'd never admit either to Bouquet.

"Shu, of course. He's been acting weird, but part of that is because of what's going on between you and Jiro. Even he isn't that dense, especially when it comes to you."

"Th-there's nothing going on between me and Jiro."

"Need I bring up the snow-watching incident yesterday morning?"

"... Okay, we're becoming better friends. But that's all."

Bouquet snickered. "Of course. Friends."

"Friends." Kluke repeated.

"People are usually friends before they're lovers." Bouquet hopped off the counter, her shoes making enough noise to echo.

"Get lost!" Kluke threw something at her, which Bouquet narrowly dodged with a yell. It clattered on the ground.

"It's better than sticking around with you!" She yelled as she ran out of the kitchen, fortunately for Shu in the opposite direction of him.

Shu let himself lean against the wall as he heard Kluke grumble as she went back to her pot.

_People are usually friends before they're lovers._ Bouquet's words kept echoing in his head over and over. If that was true, and not something Bouquet had said just to annoy Kluke, than what did that mean for Kluke and Shu? Never mind that; what did it mean for Kluke and Jiro?

Shu sighed, closing his eyes; his head felt like it was splitting open, and had felt like this for the past several days. That was probably why he'd been snapping at everyone, too. He knew it was his fault. If he wasn't-

"Shu, what are you doing over here, maro?"

He held back a scream with his hand; how did Marumaro get around so fast? He breathed out, removing it. "I should ask you the same thing."

"I have my ways, maro," Marumaro leaned against the wall next to Shu. "Oh, and don't look now, but your fiancée is coming this way, maro."

Shu was about to tell him off about how Bouquet wasn't his fiancée when what he'd said sunk in. He turned, and there she was, heading down the hallway towards him.

As she went by, she didn't give Shu so much as a passing glance. "Good morning, Marumaro." And just like that, she was disappearing into another room.

Shu let out an agonized sigh, sliding down the wall a little. "We can't keep doing this."

"You should just apologize, maro. And get her a nice gift while you're at it, maro."

"A gift?" Shu turned his head at this. "Why can't I just apologize?"

Marumaro folded his arms. "Don't be an idiot, maro. Bouquet thinks you don't love her anymore-"

"Because I never did!"

"-so you have to do something to make up for it, maro. If you just apologize, it would be worse than doing nothing, maro."

"And you know all this _how_?"

"Because I am in expert in love, maro," his closed eyes twinkled mischievously. "I've observed females of all species for many years, and, with myself and others, have always found this to be the most effective method, maro."

"... You're sick, Marumaro." Shu said when he found his voice again.

"That's what people keep telling me, maro."

Shu opened his mouth to counter, then, thinking about the consequences, promptly closed it again.

"Are you going to stand there and imitate a fish all day, or are we going to go gift hunting, maro?"

"I don't need any dumb gift!" Shu stomped past him, toward the room Bouquet had gone into. "I'm going to apologize, and that'll be good enough because I'm not in love with her anyway!"

You could never really tell if Marumaro was rolling his eyes or not, but right after what Shu had said, it certainly looked like it. "Shu's so stubborn, maro..."

Shu was surprised when he got there, though. "I thought Bouquet just came in here." But there was no trace of her.

"She did. But she left - she said she had to go and get a 'special gift' or something like that." Jiro said without looking up from his book.

Shu groaned. Nothing seemed to be going his way today at _all_. And this accursed headache...

"So, are you going to go shopping for a gift or what, maro?" Marumaro asked, suddenly at Shu's side.

After Shu had subsided from the shock of it, he said, "One of these days you'll have to tell me how you do that."

"Devee magic, maro." He replied without missing a beat.

Shu couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but decided not to question it. "I guess we could go."

"Great, maro! Jiro, you coming, maro?"

"Why are you asking _him_?" Shu whispered harshly.

"Not a chance," Jiro turned the page of his book. "Believe it or not, but this thing's actually starting to get good."

Marumaro shrugged. "Suit yourself, maro. Come on, Shu, maro," Marumaro started pulling him outside. "We're going to find the perfect gift, maro!"

**There's chapter ten, in all of its glory/shame. Next chapter, we'll find out what Bouquet went looking for, and the possible disaster of Shu and Marumaro's quest for a gift. Speaking of which, I haven't really decided what the gift will be, so if you could, give me some ideas in a review. Like I keep repeating, I'm not feeling well, so the next chapter may take a while, though I'm still aiming for the 10 hit mark. Also, this story is nearing its end; I don't know how many more chapters it will be, but probably not too many more. When you review, please, **_**please**_** tell me who you think Bouquet and Kluke should end up with (Shu, Jiro or Marumaro). That's all I can think of, so I'll see you later.**


	11. Searching for Love

**I got up Chapter 11, and it was almost the same day, too! Well, it's actually 11:56 right now... but it'll be past - ow - midnight when I've finished this. :P What can you do? I'm still - ow - sick, as you've probably noticed. But I'm doing a lot better. :) So, let's do the replies now, okay?**

**The Flying Frog:** Believe me, I'm familiar with miscommunication; my mom will make you want to tear your hair out. ;) Sorry, I'll be serious now. The reason that isn't as noticeable in Kluke is that she has a worse temper. Also, I'd like to point out two instances that Kluke behaved slightly erratic - one, when she broke down and sobbed after the explosion, and two, when she threw the cooking utensil at Bouquet. Like I said before, her temper is bad, but that doesn't seem normal for even her. Yeah; I'll try to stop making things so confusing. :) Yes, Bouquet can be awfully fickle, can't she? Oh, definitely. ;) I think he's trying to figure out if he's in love with her, but he doesn't want to admit that he thinks he might be. Or something like that; I have no idea how that boy's mind works. But it's fun to try and figure out. ;) Yeah, they fight a lot; I don't want to give anything away, but there was one fight that was particularly worse than the others (at least, I think). Hm, you couldn't find episode one? Try YouTube for that; that's where I first watched Episode 1, and I moved onto Veoh once I discovered the site and that it had better video quality. But YouTube is improving a little (even though Veoh still has a bigger picture), so it's worth it to watch there for the first few episodes. Sorry, I didn't realize it wasn't there, otherwise I would've suggested YouTube first. I hope so; I already have a plan in motion that I think will (at least partially) solve one of your questions. Stick around for a bit longer, okay?

**ultimashadow:** I know; I held in some laughter when I wrote that. (_Shu: Thanks. I think I'm going to need it._) Don't worry, kiddo; we'll be with you all the way. We'll see ever single blunder you make. ;)

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Thanks. :D This would've been out the same day, but it is midnight, so does that count as soon?

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Oh, thank you. :) Your reviews are helping me recover, too. Yeah, this would've been out the same day as last chapter. *sigh* If only I'd gotten to my computer a little bit sooner! Oh, well, it's the next day, and only a few minutes into it. If you don't complain, I won't. And you're always so nice, so I don't think you will. :) Oh, that's so sweet... I... WAH!! *cries* I'm so glad you're back! Sweet... more sweet... sweet again... Oh my God, I think you're one of the nicest people I've ever met. Well, met online. You're certainly buttering me up, at least. ;) Thanks for your idea about the gift. As soon as I read that, the answer came to me like something floating to the top of water. I've got it well and figured out now. ;) Since you're the only person to say which pairings they wanted, and those were the ones I wanted to do anyway, I think I'll stick with Kluke x Jiro and Bouquet x Shu unless I get enough nays. Looking forward to your reviews. :)

**Okay! I'm - ow - still in pain, but I'm confident about this story again! I'm not going to let - ow - anything stop me! Now, uh... well... this chapter is shorter than the others. And that's - ow - because I'm not feeling well. So I guess I did get stopped by something. :P Well, I tried, didn't I? Anyway, after the disclaimer, we can get to the story.**

**Note: I've decided that thoughts for this story will be in all italics. Emphasized words in thoughts will be in regular text.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own - ow - Blue Dragon. Ow.**

"Where are you off to?" Jiro glanced up from his book ever so slightly, trying to feign any interest.

"I have to get to work," Kluke said as she swung a check patterned scarf around her neck. "I'm already late, even though I have an excuse."

"Would that 'excuse' happen to be the fight between you and Bouquet?"

"How did you know?" Kluke's eyebrows creased; it wasn't like Bouquet and Jiro were known for chattering incessantly with each other.

"She told me," he shrugged. "Or rather, she was still fuming about you throwing something at her, and I couldn't help but overhear."

"I see," Kluke kept her voice soft. She couldn't tell what it was, but something bothered her about the fact that Bouquet had vented to Jiro. "Well, I better hurry."

"Be careful." he buried himself in the pages of the book to hide his blush.

"Thanks. Try not to get bored." With that, she left.

* * *

"So what kind of gift do you get for a girl, anyway?" Shu asked as he scanned the shop windows with his eyes.

"Something that lasts, maro." Marumaro was all concentration. Shu couldn't tell if he was doing it because he was getting into the gift searching or if the whole thing was an act to make himself look cool.

"And what's that supposed to be?"

"Jewelry, of course, maro."

Shu stopped dead in his tracks. "Are you _kidding_ me? Do you have any idea how expensive that is?"

"I didn't say it had to be a diamond, maro. You're kinda dumb sometimes, maro."

"That's what girls like, though." Shu answered a little sharply, throughly angry about the dumb comment; he wished that he could get through a day without someone insulting his intelligence.

"Not all girls, maro. Though I'm sure Bouquet is one of the ones who do, maro."

"She won't like anything else, then. I knew I shouldn't have come out here." Shu ran his hand through his hair.

"Relax, will you, maro? I think Bouquet would like to receive anything from you, no matter what it was, maro."

"... That doesn't make any sense."

_Dense as usual, maro._ Marumaro thought grimly. "She won't mind what it is because she's in love with you, maro."

Despite himself, Shu blushed. He was mad at Marumaro for continuing to push this subject about love (because he _wasn't_ in love with Bouquet!), but... It was really nice of her. He'd always been surrounded by people his whole life, but he could never shake the feeling of being alone; the thought that someone would love him unconditionally (if not a little insanely) made his chest feel a little tight.

"I think this is a good place to start, maro." Marumaro stood, arms akimbo, in front of the jeweler's. "We'll find something here for sure, maro."

Shu eyed the sapphires in the display warily. "We might find something, but I doubt we could ever afford it."

"Where's your confidence, maro?" Marumaro slapped him on the back hard, making Shu stumble forward a little. "We're going to find something, even if it takes us 'til the end of time, maro!"

* * *

Bouquet's hands clenched into fists at her side as she realized she was lost.

She'd come out here with the perfect plan in mind, and already it seemed to be slipping through her fingers.

If only she'd been paying more attention when she ran past the shop earlier...

* * *

"What do you mean we don't have enough money, maro?!" Marumaro slammed his fist on the counter, in an odd role reversal of his and Shu's positions yesterday.

"Young man, I'll kindly thank you to not damage the counter," the cashier said stiffly. "It's made of glass, you know."

"And _I'll_ kindly thank you to give us what we came for, maro!" Marumaro tried desperately to grab the ring, which was being held out of his reach.

Shu sighed, leaning his head against the wall. His head was hurting even worse than before, and he was starting to get dizzy. He kept hearing this little voice in his head saying _I told you so_, and he kept telling it to shut up.

"And now I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the cashier pointed at the door. "Thank you for stopping by."

"Wait just a minute, maro! I came here to-"

"Marumaro," Shu put his hand on his shoulder. "Let's just go. We'll look for another store."

Marumaro would've continued arguing with the guy, since there was something about him that just bugged him, but he could tell from that something was wrong with Shu from the look in his eyes. He sighed. "Fine, maro."

As they got outside, Shu barely caught himself as he tripped (whether it was on the snow or the steps, he couldn't tell).

"Shu, are you alright, maro?!" Marumaro grabbed him by the arm.

"I don't know... I feel weird." Shu was breathing hard.

"I know what's wrong with you, maro." he nodded to himself.

_No, you don't._ "You do?" Shu said aloud.

"Yep, maro. You need food, maro! Come on, maro!" Before Shu had a chance to protest, Marumaro was dragging him away.

**Chapter 11 - ow - done! Sorry for the shortness. Next chapter will be longer and hopefully more interesting; we'll check up on Kluke to make sure she hasn't destroyed the store again, and see if Bouquet's found what she's looking for. And we'll see if Marumaro's seriously injured Shu yet. ;) Review if you can, I'll try to get the next chapter up after the 10 hit mark, and I'll see you later! :D**


	12. Setting Things in Motion

**Hi, guys. Still - ow - feeling a little sick, but think I'm through the worst of it. I should be up and running at full energy soon. ;) Anyway, here's - ow - chapter twelve. Another one that's a little short... but I like it, I'm not going to worry about it. I'm happy to say that I think no one's ooc this time, though you should let me know if you think so. Anyway, we'll get to the review replies.**

**pepperdadog:** Got it. No worries, leave it to me; I wanted to do them anyway, so we'll go with that pairing. There were actually a lot of Jiro x Kluke scenes that weren't included during the time skip after the explosion, which is another reason Shu is so angry for anyone wondering. I narrowed it down because I didn't want the story to drag out too long. Plus, sometimes it's a little bit more fun if you pretend. :) No kissing, though; they haven't done that. Yet. ;) However, I would love some suggestions for Jiro x Kluke scenes. The story's drawing towards the end, and I have a very Jiro x Kluke scene planned in one of the final chapters; I had already planned to do that anyway, even if everyone wanted Kluke x Shu or Kluke x Marumaro. ;) Here's chapter 12.

**WindGoddess Rune:** Copy that. ;) Oh, I know - I was so sad after I watched it. I still am. :( I'm still trying to figure out a way for them to have made it - I think I can say that without giving away anything, because who made what? - even though it probably looks like they couldn't have; I guess I'm just a hopeless optimist. :) Hm... favorite Superior Life Form (sorry, that's what I call them because that's how I translated it)? I guess... Maybe Rottares; I'd like to see more of the developing friendship between her and Bouquet. Michael's pretty cool, too. But I really like my version of Hildegard; I haven't gotten that story up yet, so you probably have no idea what I'm talking about. It'll probably be a while, since I have several stories I want to get up - just talking about Blue Dragon and not getting into other series - but I won't give away the surprise. I think you'll like it. ;) Hottest? 8O *shocked* No comment. ;) Darn it. I wish you'd told me that sooner; I already decided what the gift is going to be. I think you'll like it though, and you've given me a very good idea for a Kluke x Jiro scene later on - thanks. :)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Thanks. :) Oh, I know you wouldn't; I was just teasing you. ;) *sigh* That's the only thing I hate about writing to people - you can never convey things that your voice would normally, so you always have to be careful how you say things. Don't worry; unless something critical happens (I get deathly sick, one of my family gets deathly sick, there's a natural disaster, etc.) I'm no where near done with this. ;) And I will _never_ abandon a story; if I can't get any inspiration, I may not update for like a year, but I'll never say it's complete until it's done. I know; that scene in the game is probably my favorite, probably followed by most of the scenes in Devour Village. I think you'll like the gift once you find out what it is. ;) I'll give you a hint - it has something to do with Tenkai. Hope you like this chapter. :)

**Okay, there's been two votes for Kluke x Jiro and two votes for Bouquet x Shu - three for both if I include my own votes - so those will be the pairings unless enough people say otherwise. Also, still - ow - curious if anyone wants me to write the Rogi x Delphinium omake at the end. I'm not a terribly - ow - big fan of the pairing, but I like it enough to write about it, so let me know if I should. Anyway, after the disclaimer, we'll get on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon. You wouldn't come after an - ow - sick person, would you? Especially not one who doesn't claim to own it...**

Zola looked around the room, then sighed dejectedly. "Why is it that everyone's gone by the time I wake up?"

"For several reasons," Jiro was still reading his book. "For some reason, you've been getting up late, probably because you stay up late trying to make sure everyone's okay. You never see Kluke because she usually goes to work early, or at least as early as possible. You never see Shu, Marumaro or Bouquet because they're usually off on some hare-brained adventure. If you don't see me, it's usually because I've unfortunately been dragged into one of those said adventures. That answer your question?"

"More or less."

He turned the page. "If you're trying to find something to do, maybe you could check with the weather experts and see if they've determined anything yet."

"That's a good idea. I think I will do that. Thank you, Jiro."

Jiro was focused on his book, so he was caught off guard when Zola ruffled his hair. It didn't stop him from crying out in objection, though.

* * *

Shu sighed after the broth had gone down his throat; Marumaro was crazy, but sometimes he had good ideas.

"See, what did I tell you, maro? You just needed something to eat, maro," he lowered his voice. "Besides, girls that like ramen are usually cute, maro."

Shu snorted; some things never changed. "I knew there was some ulterior motive behind this."

Marumaro placed hand over his chest, putting on an innocent look. "Ulterior motive, maro? I have no idea what you're talking about, maro."

"I thought we came out here to get a gift." he massaged his head. Eating had stopped him from being dizzy, but the headache was still relentless.

"I thought you didn't want to get a gift, maro." Marumaro countered back.

Shu blushed. "Well, I've been considering it... and I'm starting to think maybe it isn't such a bad idea."

Marumaro snickered. "You _do_ like her, maro."

"Shut up!"

* * *

Kluke stumbled with the strings of her apron. She'd gotten a little queasy from the cold walk to the store, and it was making her a little disoriented.

"What's up, Kluke?" Helen had just come into the room. "You don't look so good."

"Ah, I'm just a little under the weather today," Kluke smiled, finishing with the ties. "I'll be fine."

"Well..." her eyes flicked to Kluke, then around the store. "How about we do something a little different today?"

"Like what?"

Helen grinned. "You're going to mind the shop."

* * *

"I don't know about you, but I feel completely energized after that meal, maro!" Marumaro pumped the air with his fist.

Shu looked at him with lidded eyes. "You sure that isn't because you started sweet talking the waitress?"

"Maybe that too, maro." Marumaro folded his arms behind his head, smirking.

Shu rolled his eyes. He was going to have to find something good, because what he was going through wasn't nearly worth some cheap little trinket.

"Hey, Shu, let's try in here, maro." Marumaro stopped in front of the storefront.

Shu looked up, then slapped his hand against his face. "Not another jewelry shop..."

* * *

"Look, I've already told you that I was sorry! It was an accident!" Bouquet would've backed away, but she was a little surrounded. She'd thought about turning invisible, but had decided that there wasn't enough room. Especially if she wanted to do it cute.

"You're not going anywhere until you pay for this!" The stall owner, a roundish woman, pointed at her disfigured fruit.

Bouquet had been trying to find the store she was looking for, but hadn't even gotten close. It didn't help that she couldn't remember what it was called. In a fit of rage, she'd kicked a stone, indirectly causing it to go straight through a melon.

"You're acting like I did it on purpose. I'd never do anything like that!" _At least, not without a reason,_ she added in her mind.

"I don't care what you would do! I want compensation!"

Bouquet sighed, reaching into her pouch. Zola would not be happy about this at _all_. "Here." Her outstretched hand held several coins in it.

The woman took them a little roughly. "Thank you," she said bitingly. "Now, get away from my store!"

Bouquet didn't really know what happened next, but she presumed later that she'd been kicked. She did know that she fell on her bottom. On the snow. She screeched when the cold went up her skirt. She pushed herself forward, on hands on knees, except one hand was being used to brush off the snow. "When I get my hands on that big, hulking..." she froze once she looked in front of her. Those displays... "... genius!" She'd landed right in front of the store she was looking for.

* * *

Kluke was in a very good mood. In the back of her mind, she knew that things hadn't ended so well when she was feeling like this, but it wasn't dampening her spirits in the least.

She'd successfully served several customers by now, enough to lose count.

Helen had said that her personality was so good that she fit this position perfectly; they'd decided to switch the cooking instruction to break time and just try harder to learn then.

If she was doing this well... After their journey was over, Kluke was considering opening up a store of some kind, maybe with Shu. Or even Jiro; she blushed at that thought. But it wasn't such a bad idea. He'd been through so much, it wouldn't be a bad way for him to settle down... not with her, of course! She blushed harder.

But back on the subject of serving the customers, she was getting so used to it that she could almost keep a closed-eyed smile going through the whole thing. Though she'd only done it all the way through once.

She heard the familiar jingle of the bell above the door. Another customer. Time for the smile.

Kluke swept her right hand in a gesture, leaning a little to that side. "Welcome to Sweet Delights! How may I help you?"

When the customer didn't answer, Kluke opened her eyes, looking right into Bouquet's stunned face.

**Chapter 12 done! Ow. Anybody figure out that was the store Bouquet was looking for? ;) Well, next chapter will deal with the interaction between Bouquet and Kluke, and we'll see if Marumaro got himself and Shu thrown out of the store yet. ;) I also think I'll add a little something about how Zola and Jiro are doing; I might not do the Zola part, since I think it will have a better effect if I hold off, but after thinking about it I will do the part with Jiro. Anyway, review if you get the chance, and I'll try to get the next chapter up after 10 hits. Ciao! :D**


	13. Conflict

**Well, we've made it to Chapter 13. I'm feeling well enough to operate normally now, though I'm not 100% yet. Anyway, this means that I'll probably be updating at my normal pace now (or pretty soon). So, let's do the replies! :D**

**WindGoddess Rune:** Thanks; I think you'll be pleased with this chapter. ;) Thanks for the tip about Gamekyo - I went over there as soon as I read that about Ikai no Kyojuu. Blue Dragon Jr. ... Oh, that is _classic_! XD I don't know whether you intended that to be funny or not, but you made my day with that. :) And you've given me a wonderful idea for _Blue Dragon Beyond's_ sequel. ;) Thank you. And it is so cool that Ran is going to have a bird Shadow! It looks a little like Phoenix, but it's beak is too different, so it must be a different kind of bird. I hope they give its official name soon. And no - I find Blue Dragon to be a pleasant/annoying acquaintance. ;) I'm joking about that, by the way - he could be nicer to Shu sometimes, but then he wouldn't be the Blue Dragon we know and love. ;) Thinking about it, I realize that I forgot that Noi is a Superior Life Form - he's much younger than the others, and he's traveling with Shu, so it just slipped my mind. But, now including him, Noi would be my favorite Superior Life Form. :) And I think you're right about Blue Dragon having a human form (well, humanoid) at one time. There was probably some kind of accident, and he ended up as the Shadow of Shu's ancestor. It's been a long time since then, so it's likely he's just forgotten - either that, or he isn't saying. That's my theory, anyway. Nene? _Cute_? Please, no! *runs, then comes back after recovering* Excuse me. ;) Ah. I see I'm becoming a bad influence on you with the face thing. Why are they called that? I have no idea. Noi had called them "Joui Seimeitai", and the kanji of that translates as Superior Life Form. Beyond that, I don't know. I'm very curious as to why they are attacking all the time. Maybe they have some kind of grudge against humans? Or surface dwellers, at least, since they seem to only live in that floating place in the sky. Um... Hope that answered your question. :)

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Thank you! *blushes* About the genius thing: Bouquet was about to call the lady who owned the stall something very impolite, but changed it after realizing that the woman had kicked her in front of the store. Yeah, she kind of is. ;) Here's the update, as requested.

**ultimashadow:** Oh, we're not even at the best part yet. ;) Thank you. *blushes again* Yes, actually; I have several Blue Dragon stories I'm working on. And I have stuff planned for other series, too. But I probably won't upload anything else, save for possible oneshots, until _Troubles on White Day_ is finished.

**pepperdadog:** ... Pepper, you are brilliant. Your review has just increased the length of this story. :) I'll be following your suggestion almost to the letter. ;)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** A lot of thanks go to your reviews for that. :) I might've been exaggerating just a bit... but I'll let you decide when it comes up. Besides, Pepper just gave me an idea for one that's probably much bigger than what I had in mind. And for phrasing, maybe "even more"? Or something like that. :) You'll see more of that in this, chapter too; I think it's even longer than last time. Aw, thanks... I might do it just because you said that. Since Grand Kingdom hasn't been a big feature in this story, I thought about doing something for those guys, especially since it would probably be done around Valentine's Day (at this rate, maybe after). I probably would've done something like Lemaire x Cynthia, but they aren't around at this point in the series. In my opinion, they should've never been killed off. :( I'm feeling better now, so I should be able to update without stressing myself too much. Besides, writing makes me feel better - I use it as a stress buster, too. ;) Oh... Get better soon! Really? Your reviews do the same thing for me. :) Well... I'm doing that right now. :D I was already two and a half days late on my Eternal Sonata story, but it was easy to write now that I'm more or less better. Yes... Still getting better. :) Hope to see some more reviews from you soon. And still eagerly awaiting the translation. :D

**WindGoddess Rune:** Please, by all means, go ahead! I'd love to see some writing from you. Both of your ideas seem very interesting. Just do me a favor, okay? Please, please, _please_ call her Primula. I've checked and double checked this translation over and over, and I'm positive that's what her name is. The primula is a flower, and since delphinium is also a flower, it seems reasonable enough that that's her name. Sorry about the rant, but yeah, I think those are both very good ideas. I actually had a similar idea to the second one, but I think our ideas are different enough that we could both still write them and not be copying the other. ;) Besides, it sounds like your second idea is in the first season - my idea takes place in Tenkai. Of course, I can't get that idea out until I finish_ Troubles on White Day_. But that shouldn't be too much longer. I just hope I make it to Valentine's Day!

**Okay, there are the review replies. I did this in my reply, but I'd like to thank Pepper again for her idea. The development of said idea should begin in this chapter. After the disclaimer, read and enjoy. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon. I'm not sick anymore, but I've still run out of ideas to make this pestilent disclaimer interesting.**

Jiro was lying on the bed, his arm thrown over his forehead, face blazing in a blush.

The good news was that he'd finished his book. He supposed there wasn't any bad news, but it seemed bad to him; the ending had taken a sudden romantic turn, and it had resulted in his thoughts turning to Kluke.

In reality, it hadn't been a long time since he'd crushed on a girl, but everything in his life that happened before his village was destroyed seemed like an eternity away. Still, the feeling of it was fresh in his mind - he knew the signs, and he was getting them again.

But he was considering making a serious attempt with Kluke. He was pretty sure he had a crush again, and he knew better than anyone that sometimes you had to make a move in love, because you never knew when you'd get another chance. He'd never confessed to that girl because he was too scared, and now she was dead.

He rolled onto side, sighing. Kluke wasn't that bad. He hadn't really liked her at first, since he thought that a non-Shadow User would end up slowing them down. But she had proven herself time and again, and even turned out to have a Shadow; now she was the group's main defense, where they would have had none without her. Besides, Jiro thought she was just pleasant to be around.

The door to the room opened and closed. "I guess you are the only one who stays in here." Zola said as she walked in.

"Did you find out anything?" he tried to seem normal; if anyone would detect what he was thinking about, it would be Zola.

She sighed, clearly annoyed. "The results haven't come in yet. They said to come back tonight."

Jiro smirked. "I guess you're getting up late again tomorrow."

"Seems that way. Anyway, why are you still here?"

"What do you mean?" he held himself up with his elbows.

"Don't you remember what I told Shu and Marumaro? Boys your age shouldn't stay cooped up."

"Then why wouldn't you let me leave?"

"I never said you couldn't leave."

"... You knew, didn't you? Bouquet put you up to it."

Zola started walking out of the room. "That was days ago, Jiro; you should put it behind you. Go outside and have some fun."

Jiro glared at the closed door, his hair falling in his eyes. "Why do you always leave without answering me?"

* * *

The two girls stood there for a while, just staring at each other. Then, very suddenly, they both pointed at each other and shouted, "You!"

Bouquet's hand clenched into a fist. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Kluke stopped pointing, folding her arms across her chest. "I should be asking you the same thing."

"... I came to by some chocolate," she admitted grudgingly, letting the hand drop. "What else would I be here for?"

Kluke smirked. "What's wrong? You giving up after all?"

"Of course not! This is for me!" Well, that was half true. "Besides, any chocolate eaten by anyone doesn't count until White Day."

"And you thought of this rule _when_ exactly?"

"Can I buy some, or do I have to talk to the manager?"

Kluke ground her teeth together. Of all the... How did she always end up in these weird situations with Bouquet? She must be cursed. "How may I help you?" her voice was as tight as piano wire.

Bouquet closed her eyes, obviously gloating. "I'll take three quarters of a pound of the holiday gift box."

"You can have a half a pound, or a pound, or a pound and a half, or more. We don't do quarters here." In her head, Kluke congratulated herself on this small triumph.

Bouquet opened her eyes, raising an eyebrow. "You don't want to disappoint the customer, do you?"

"Of course," Kluke managed a fake smile with a great amount of difficulty, one of her eyebrows twitching. "A good service provider _never_ disappoints the customer," she pushed open the counter door, letting it swing shut on its own. "Let me just talk to the manager about this, okay? I'll be back in a moment."

Bouquet rolled her eyes after she'd gone; Kluke pretending to be nice was almost worse than her losing her temper.

She looked over her shoulder at the racks behind her, scanning the contents. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to pick up some-

"Sorry for the wait!" Kluke rushed back out of the door, holding a box in her hands. "We made up a special box just for you."

"I wanted to get this, too." Bouquet tossed a bag of cooking chocolate onto the counter.

"Let's see... counting the tax..." Kluke punched some numbers into a cash register. "... it should come to 150G."

"WHAT?!" Bouquet nearly dropped her purse. "I-it should've come to 80G at the most!"

"Well, you had a special request," Kluke's smile was very real now. "So we had to add some more to your total. This won't be a problem, will it?" Her voice was syrupy sweet. She'd have to remember to thank Helen later for this wonderful little idea.

"How dare you? You're doing this because of the competition!"

"Not at all. This is strictly business."

"Thief." Bouquet spat out, throwing the entire money pouch on the counter. "You can keep the change. Maybe you can use it to buy yourself some cooking lessons."

Kluke bagged the items, offering it. "Thank you for your business. We hope to see you again."

Bouquet snatched it away. "Don't count on it. Not while you're working here."

Kluke waited until Bouquet had shut the door behind her before she burst into a fit of laughter.

* * *

"What do you mean we don't have enough money, maro?!"

Shu was about five seconds from banging his head against the closest wall. The only thing that was stopping him was the headache - doing so would undoubtedly make it worse.

He just didn't understand what he'd done to deserve being stuck in this endless loop. He'd been kind of mean to Bouquet, he'd admit that. But he hadn't even been looking at her - he'd thought she was Jiro! Why did he have to be punished like this?!

"Please, little boy, don't cause any trouble." Fortunately, the cashier in this store was much friendly. "I'm sure you can find something else."

Those words sent Shu walking; if Marumaro was going to make a fool of himself in front of everyone in the shop, the least Shu could do was find something occupy himself with. And searching for a cheaper gift didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Shu blocked out Marumaro as he started having a fit, looking through some rings. He sighed. Nothing seemed right... He knew there was a gift out there that was just right for her, and he just couldn't find it. That was when a thought occurred to him - why not use magic?

He wasn't stupid enough to ask Blue Dragon - not only would the Shadow refuse to help him, but he'd probably make fun of him just for kicks.

But... If Shu drew on Blue Dragon's power, kind of like half summoning him, it might help his mind clear enough. Maybe he could try to sense which gift was the right one? Or something like that - there was always a difference between theory and practice.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He hoped that no one looked his way; since he wasn't doing a full summon, he'd probably only glow for a split second, but a second was all anyone needed to see. And he had no idea where to begin explaining what the glowing was. How _did_ you explain to someone that you used magic?

He felt the magic course through him for just a moment, and then everything seemed so clear. Eyes still closed, he walked down the aisles, brushing his hands across various accessories.

Shu couldn't really describe how he knew that he'd found it. He just touched it, and something clicked in his head. _This is the one,_ a voice whispered in his head. Later he wondered if the voice had been Blue Dragon, but it wasn't deep enough.

He opened his eyes, seeing a necklace. The motif was obviously blue - the cord was azure, and hanging on that was a small, light blue disc. In the center of the disc was a cornflower blue triangle.

He didn't know why this one was calling to him so strongly - there were plenty of others that looked much nicer. But his instinct told him to get this one, even after he'd stopped calling on the magic for help. He was just about to grab it...

"Hey!" Another boy shouted at him. "That's the gift I'm getting for my girlfriend!"

Shu frowned. "But I need to get this one for my friend - she's mad at me and I have to give her a present when I apologize." Well, that's what Marumaro had told him, anyway.

"Too bad!" The other boy bumped Shu's shoulder on purpose. " 'Cause I saw it first!"

"If you're going to be a jerk, do it somewhere else; get lost!" Shu pushed back with equal force.

Marumaro wasn't having any easier of a time. "Now, you-" He stopped short as he was telling off the cashier, as he saw someone out of the corner of his eye that surprised him. "Just a minute, maro."

He jumped off from where he was holding himself up on the counter. He quickly ran over to the entrance, poking his head out of the door. He gaped as his eyes confirmed it for him. "Shu, I need to check something out, maro. Can you take care of things here, maro?"

"Yeah, sure thing." Shu ground out, having gotten into a tug of war with the stubborn boyfriend.

Marumaro bolted out of the store without a second thought.

"I told you, I saw it first!" The boy tugged especially hard, almost making Shu take a tumble.

"No, you didn't!"

"Give it!"

* * *

"... and she's really annoying sometimes. So, thanks for helping me out." Kluke finished.

"No problem. It's better for our profits anyway!" Helen laughed.

Kluke giggled a little herself; she knew that Zola wouldn't be happy when she found out about the lack of gold, but it probably wouldn't be so bad if Kluke explained it to her. That is, if Bouquet didn't get to Zola first. Even then, she figured she could probably convince her.

"Hey, you better get back to your shift. You don't want to miss a customer, do you?"

"No. Well, not unless it's Bouquet."

Helen chuckled, pushing on Kluke's arm playfully. "Go on."

Kluke smiled to herself as she exited the room; no one had really taken care of her since Shu was very young, so it felt nice to have this sudden big sister figure in the form of Helen.

The bell above the door jingled. Kluke quickly ran to her post, trying again with the closed-eyed smile pose, though it was a little sloppy from barely getting behind the counter in time. "Welcome to Sweet-"

"_Kluke_?"

She opened her eyes and saw Jiro more shocked than she'd ever seen him.

One thought floated around in her mind: _Why do I even bother?_

**Well, there's chapter thirteen. It took me a bit, but it's finally out. I was actually going to make it longer, but I decided this is a better place to end it. If anyone's wondering, the necklace idea wasn't mine - it's the necklace that Bouquet wears in Episode 8 of Season 2, while she's wearing her swimsuit. But I would like to thank Prince of Tennis' Shaman for inspiring me to use it. :) Next chapter... oh, next chapter should be interesting indeed. ;) Since it's almost time for Valentine's Day, I'm going to make this story a priority above my other ones. I'm probably not going to make it in time, but hopefully we'll get to something interesting on that day. I'll try to update after 10 hits, and I hope to see you guys soon!**


	14. An Interlude to Mayhem

**Here we are at chapter fourteen. *sigh* I'm pretty sure that I'm not going to make it to Valentine's Day... Anyway, I need to go to sleep, so I have to make this quick. So we'll do the review replies now.**

**WindGoddess Rune:** Don't worry, you'll find out this chapter. :) Well, he probably will when he finds out - tormenting Shu is probably Blue Dragon's favorite pastime. Other than fighting, of course. ;) I know - there will be more Jiro/Kluke interaction to come. Oh man, that cracks me up every time I read it. XD Oh, no, you didn't really scare me. Shock me, yes. But I thought about it for a while, and I thought that Nene and Himiko _together_ are cute. Sure thing - I've discovered that answering questions about Blue Dragon has become a favorite thing of mine when prompted, so feel free to ask something whenever you want. Thanks so much for that - If I ever find out who started that Primella thing, I'm going to throw marshmallows at them. Unless it was you, of course - why would I unleash a furious marshmallow attack on one of my favorite reviewers? :)

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Aw, thanks! :D I wonder how many rounds there will be between them? With those two girls, the number could be uncountable. ;) Well, I don't know about Kluke _vs._ Jiro... But, maybe so. Depends how you look at it. ;) There should be plenty more Kluke x Jiro to come - I've decided that's going to be the pairing for those two, though that doesn't mean there won't be the odd Kluke x Shu or Bouquet x Jiro moment here and there. Heck, even Marumaro might get some moments with one of the girls. Though Bouquet probably thinks he gets too many moments with her as it is. ;)

**ultimashadow:** I know - I love heating things up when possible. ;) Me too - I think he probably will. The anime Shu doesn't have the same "I won't give up!" motto as the game Shu, but they're both very stubborn. Besides, like I said, that's the necklace that Bouquet wears in Season 2; she has to get it somehow, right? Thanks. And though I like to find synonyms just for the heck of it, I think in conversation that it's pretty acceptable to use a word repeatedly. And awesome is such a fun word to use, anyway. :D

**WindGoddess Rune: **Hm... Honestly, I don't know. Very little information is given about them, though I'm hoping some more will be revealed about them in _Plus_ and _Ikai no Kyojuu_. I do know that they're the ones who have created all of the machines and things that the others use - a good example would be the mechat. I haven't finished the Blue Dragon game yet, so there may be something that I haven't found out about yet. When I do find out, I'll be sure to let you know. And that stinks that you don't have a 360. :( I don't go online with mine or anything - it seems like they've made the Xbox Live into a money-making scam - but it's worth it for the games I like playing on it. Namely, those would be Lost Odyssey, Blue Dragon and Eternal Sonata, though are several others that are worth it depending on the kinds of games you like. Also, if you don't mind my asking, what systems do you have?

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** You're reviewing again; yay! :D Yeah - I'm kind of trying to push to finish the story by Valentine's Day, so that's why there are so many new chapters. *kicks at ground awkwardly* Ugh, I know the feeling. :P I'm glad you're feeling better, though! :) Oh, that's okay - do it in whatever order you like. Besides, Episode 39 might be my second favorite episode of season two, so I don't mind. Ah, I can't wait until tomorrow! :D I know, I love it. ;) And I'm glad it's helping you. Hope you like this chapter. :)

**Well, those are the replies. Like I mentioned earlier, I have to hurry, so I can't do a lot of notes right now aside from the replies. Hopefully I won't be so rushed next chapter. After the disclaimer, we'll get to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon. Not enough time to think of anything else. So su- On second thought, never mind.**

"J-Jiro... What are you doing here?"

"That's a spin on what you usually first ask the customer." he tried smoothly to change the subject, walking over to the counter.

"Oh, of course," she blushed. She decided to wonder why he was here later. "What can I get for you?"

"Well... I was wondering if I could write a message on one of those hearts over there." He pointed to the large piece of solid chocolate displayed in the window.

She nodded. "What kind of icing?"

"Something white," he shrugged. "I guess it would have to be vanilla."

"Okay," Kluke got out some pen and paper. "What would you like for your message?"

"I... I can't tell you." He racked his brain for an excuse. "You know the person that I'm giving it to, so it wouldn't be a surprise if you saw it."

"I see, but... I don't know what to do then. I guess I could ask someone else-"

"It's okay, I'll do it." he said quickly. "I know how to do icing; I've done it with my mom before." The words were out of his mouth before he'd realized what he said. _Please tell me I did _not_ just say that._

"I don't- really?" she interrupted her original statement, completely curious. "What did you ice?"

He wasn't going to answer her at first, but... After thinking about it, he came up with, _What the heck? If you're going to be bear, be a Lazy Bear._ "Cupcakes. For my little sister's birthday."

Kluke's heart started to beat a little faster. Jiro never shared this kind of information with _anyone_, not even Zola. And now, just like that time in Grand Kingdom, he'd given to her this part of himself that he had hidden from everyone and everything. It was nice to know that he liked her enough to keep sharing these little facts.

"So... Can I do it?"

"Y-yeah. Come here." She walked over to a small table, which had originally been for a spot for the customers to have coffee. "This is probably the place with the most room. Take a seat and I'll bring the stuff over."

Quickly, she brought over one of the hearts and a pastry bag and, without another word, she left. She didn't go back behind the counter - she went into another room.

Jiro sighed, letting his eyes drift over the items - what Kluke had brought and some typical things you found on a restaurant table. He pressed the back of his hand against his forehead, letting his eyes close.

This was so... embarrassing. When he'd had his little slip about his past, he'd never bothered to mention that he'd only been five years old. And... he was grown now. Whether it was because she had something to do, or she'd known he'd needed space, or if she was just taking his request not to look, he was grateful that Kluke had left the room; it would be _way_ to hard to do it with her standing near him.

The act of doing it wasn't difficult at all; even if it was icing, how hard was it to write "Thank you, Kluke"? Besides, he did remember how to do it, despite the pang that it brought to his chest - thinking about his family too long tended to do that to him.

_Come on, get it over with. You shouldn't be acting like this - it isn't hard,_ his mind urged him on. He picked it up and went to work.

* * *

"And he's here right now?"

"He... yeah." Kluke's voice was small, more squeaky than normal.

"And you just left him in the store by himself? Unattended?"

"... Yeah."

"Why would you do that?"

"Well, of course it's going to sound worse when you say it like that!" Kluke shut her eyes, her apron getting balled up in her fists.

"Never mind that," Helen shook her head. "You should get in there before something happens."

"But..."

"We can deal with whatever happens later. Just _go_."

"Okay." Kluke nodded, then took off for the main room.

Once she'd left, Helen smiled to herself; crushes were always such a delicate topic.

* * *

He leaned back, just having finished it. Briefly, he wondered if he should've added a "-san" or - dare he consider it? - a "-chan".

The door swung open. "Jiro, I'm sorry but-"

Almost as a reflex, he moved to cover the iced chocolate. But his hand bumped into several things in the process.

Later, Kluke thought that if everything that had happened in that second was anything to go by, she was most certainly cursed.

The pastry bag was the first thing that fell, followed by the napkin holder, which just _happened_ to land on the bag. Of course, this resulted in icing squirting all over the place.

Jiro stood so quickly that he almost knocked over the chair, cursing harshly under his breath, unintentionally loud enough for her to hear. "Kluke, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay," she was already looking for something to clean it up with. "I'll take care of it."

"Let me help." Jiro grabbed some napkins that had fallen out when the container went over the edge of the table. Kluke had already started by then, so he just started at the place closest to his feet.

They had been doing pretty good cleaning it up - the floor was almost entirely clean in little over a minute.

Jiro had been lost in thought as he worked, scolding himself about how stupid he'd been to knock the stuff over in the first place. So he didn't notice that his hand was next to Kluke's until he bumped into hers.

_You clumsy ox,_ a voice in his head said. _It's no wonder you ended up with a cow for a Shadow._ He had thought about telling the voice that his Shadow was a minotaur, until he remembered that the voice wasn't a person. So stupid...

"S-sorry..." Kluke's face heated immediately.

She started to move her hand away, but Jiro put his other hand on top of both of their's.

"Jiro-" she found that after looking into his eyes, she couldn't find anything to say. His cheeks were blazing, and there was something in his eyes she'd never seen before. Thinking back, she thought she might have seen a ghost of this look directed at her, but it was never this intense.

Jiro really didn't know what he was thinking, and by the time he thought about the things he was doing, it was too late to go back. _Lazy Bear... Lazy Bear..._ He kept repeating the old favorite of his sister's in his head like a mantra.

She swallowed. Kluke didn't know what she'd do if someone came in. But she was starting to find that she didn't really care, and that thought alone scared her more than anything else.

_Lazy Bear._ No. He wouldn't let Kluke become another Kimiko. He moved towards her face, no longer nervous or hesitant.

The bell above the door rang. "I knew it was you I saw - Jiro, you are _so_ dead, maro!"

Kluke's following thought: _I don't care if it gets me fired - I'm going to tear off that stupid bell._

**Okay, sorry for the shortness in the chapter and the notes; I think I managed to keep the replies normal, at least. Next chapter, we'll find out what Marumaro's going to do with this little bit of information. Maybe a bit of blackmail, hm? ;) Or not - I've actually got something different planned. We'll also make sure that Bouquet is okay. And see if Shu fended off that brat. ;) Get 'em, kiddo! :D Review if you get the chance, and I'm going to try and get the next chapter out ASAP - possibly before the 10 hits, because if I don't finish the story by Valentine's Day, I at least want to get the story to a certain point on that day. I might have to make a longer chapter... Anyway, gotta go; see you! **


	15. Words Falling on Deaf Ears

**Well... I posted it a little sooner than I was supposed to (sooner than 10 hits, anyway), but I'm starting to think I might make it to Valentine's Day after all, so here's chapter fifteen. So sorry about being rushed last chapter. But I'll try to make it up in the review replies. So, here they are. :)**

**pepperdadog:** Your idea was too good _not_ to use. I had thought of changing it slightly, but I figured "Why change something that's already good the way it is?", so I just used it like that. Yeah - Marumaro was probably the best person to walk in on them. Zola was at the inn, Bouquet had just left Sweet Delights, and Shu was... preoccupied. Marumaro had seen Jiro since he was near the front of the store, so it made the most sense for him to follow Jiro. Definitely - If I didn't like other games more because of sentimental value, Psychonauts would be my favorite game. It's my favorite game on the Xbox, anyway. And it's my best accomplishment - save for one figment that I can never find in Edgar's brain, I've completed the game from beginning to end about 15 times. Ooh, favorite character... _That_ is hard. It would have to be a very close tie between Raz and Lili. My favorite place would have to be the campgrounds. Psychonauts is actually what got me started on fan fiction - I had actually been writing my own fan fiction and just never knew what it was. Anyway, I read and reviewed the next chapter of _Rapture_ - good stuff, Pepper. :)

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** I know, it's so sad! I felt so bad for him when I wrote it. :( I always love writing about Jiro, though I prefer game to anime. ;) But, that's another reason I like Episode 39; he showed up in Episode 4, but it didn't seem like he _really _showed up until 39. I know - I always love mixing different genres together when I write. Yep - let's hope Jiro and Kluke don't kill him somewhere down the road. ;)

**Okay, there are the replies. I... actually can't think of anything else to say for a change. So, after the disclaimer, we'll do the story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon. I don't own Sweet Delights either, but I own the idea of it.**

Bouquet sighed, looking out at the river. The water had frozen in some places, but most of it had stayed liquid, since it flowed at an even enough pace that it wouldn't become solid. She was munching on an apple she'd brought - from a different stall than the one she got kicked out of - and the bag from Sweet Delights was being held close to her.

The fight, or whatever it was, with Kluke had put her in a bad mood, and Bouquet was starting to rethink her plan. After thinking about it, the thing probably wasn't grand enough to even be called a plan. She sighed again.

She was also starting to think that giving Shu the cold shoulder wasn't such a good idea, either - she wanted to teach him a lesson, that she couldn't be ignored without consequences. But she didn't want to drive him away.

She looked around, trying to see if there were people nearby. Maybe she could bring out Hippo-chan and see what he thought...

* * *

"Marumaro, if you so much as speak a single word-"

"Jiro was gonna kiss Kluke, maro! Jiro was gonna kiss Kluke, maro!" Marumaro danced around in a circle as he singsonged, albeit it sounded weird because of the "maro".

Jiro shot up. "I'll kill you!" This was both finishing what he was saying earlier and a response to what Marumaro was doing now.

Kluke grabbed his arm. "Jiro, calm down."

"No, I'm not going to calm down. Not until I get a written and signed promise to not say anything from _him_!" Jiro said the last part as if it was the nastiest word on the earth.

"No can do, maro! I don't have a signature yet, maro!"

"You _what_?" Jiro faltered.

"Yep, maro! See ya, maro!" With a quick wave, Marumaro had taken off like a dart from wherever he'd come from.

"That little... I'll tear that pot off his perverted head!" he kicked the napkins he'd been using to clean up.

Kluke still had hers in hand, and was busily trying to clean up the last spots - it was better than thinking about the other stuff going on. "You shouldn't worry about it. Marumaro's just doing the kind of thing he always does."

"He can jump off a cliff if he wants for all I care. It only becomes my business when he gets involved in my personal stuff."

"Jiro, I need to ask you something," Kluke stopped what she was doing. That was mostly because she wanted to pay full attention to Jiro, but she also was also done anyway, though she hadn't realized it yet. "And I need you to be completely honest with me."

"Kluke, for whatever else I am, I don't lie unless it'll save someone's life." _Or if I have to say something to get rid of Shu,_ he thought. "What is it?" he asked aloud.

"If Marumaro hadn't come in when he did... would we... would we have..."

Jiro understood immediately, and cut her off to stop her embarrassment. "Yeah, we would have."

She seemed a little relieved at the fact that she didn't have to finish her previous sentence, but blushed as she thought about what that meant. "So... does... does that mean we're..."

"I don't know," he sat on the table. "I think I'd like to, if you did." _Oh, smooth move, idiot._ That voice sounded oddly similar to Minotauros. "I probably shouldn't have started doing what I was going to, and I'm sorry for that. Unless you wanted to do it, I mean." he said the last part a little quickly.

"I think I would've. And I think I'd like to, too."

"R-really?"

She nodded, standing now. "Yeah. You should probably get that boxed up." she pointed to the chocolate heart, quickly changing the subject.

"I... Oh, just take it," he sighed, giving up. "It was for you, anyway. Go ahead and read it."

She peeked over at it, then furrowed her brows in confusion. "What are you thanking me for?"

"What isn't there to thank you for?" _You just love adding fuel to the fire, don't you?_ "I'm sorry. What I meant to say is that I wanted to thank you for for tending to that cut I got a few days ago."

"Oh, that?" Kluke was surprised. Even though she'd been worried sick when she saw it and bandaged it, she thought that Jiro would've forgotten by now.

"Yeah..." he blushed, rubbing the back of his head. "So, thanks."

"Do you want to share it with me?"

"What?" he gaped at her. "I made it for you. That's how all this happened in the first place!"

"Well, those things are more fun to eat _with_ someone. If it bothers you that much, think of it as a courtesy for helping me clean up."

"I..."

She was already pulling up a chair. "Look, if none of this had happened, I would've eaten with you once we got back to the inn. So let's just have it now. Besides, Shu acts weird when he sees us together."

_I couldn't imagine why,_ Jiro thought wryly as he sat across from her.

* * *

Bouquet unsummoned Hippo-chan as she heard rapid footsteps crunching in the snow. When she looked over her shoulder, she was a little surprised at who it was. "Marumaro?"

He stopped when he heard her voice. "Bouquet, maro? What are you doing out here, maro?"

She shrugged, turning to look at the river again. "Just thinking."

"You should think inside, maro. It's too cold out here, maro."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye, a smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, maro! Come on back to the inn with me, maro. I've got something really juicy I want to tell you, maro!"

* * *

Everyone in the jewelry store stared in shock at the scene before them. The said scene had been going on for quite some time.

"Give me this necklace _now_!" The boy with short, light brown hair tugged on the accessory.

"Not on your life!" The boy with dark, spiky hair tied up, yanked it back in his direction.

And it didn't seem like it was anywhere near stopping.

* * *

"_What_?" Bouquet stopped dead in her tracks as Marumaro finished telling her what he'd seen.

"Maro!" he nodded. "I was a little surprised, maro. Sure, Shu is jealous, but I thought there was more going on between him and Kluke than Jiro and Kluke, maro. Shows what I know, maro."

Bouquet's hands balled into fists at her sides. How _dare_ she? Kluke had the nerve to kick her out and then do _that_? That was probably why she'd kicked out Bouquet in the first place - she'd probably known he would come.

Well, that was okay; Bouquet would fix her. The plan was back in action.

**Okay, there's Chapter 15. Again, it went up too soon, but I'll go back and reply to any reviews that are written for chapters before this one. Now that I'm thinking I might make it to Valentine's Day, I'm going to try and push forward. I'll probably be updating as soon as the chapter is finished. Next chapter should involve Bouquet's renewed plan, and unless nothing goes wrong, we'll also see if Shu won that little tug-of-war match. So... see you then. :)**


	16. The Culmination, Part One

**Okay, here's chapter sixteen! I got it up in the same day as fifteen, too. ;) Anyway, before I continue, I would like to once again thank Pepper for her idea, as the scene that she gave me will officially end in this chapter. Actually, it kind of ended last chapter, but... You get the idea. :) Thanks so much. With that, I guess I'll do the replies now.**

**ultimashadow:** Well... not really. We all know how the girl likes to exaggerate. ;) And I'll pretend you didn't say that about Jiro. Besides, he never said he did it willingly, or that he enjoyed it. I will, and stop worrying about the awesome thing - it's no big deal.

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Thanks. I know - isn't it great? :D Aw... That's too bad. Try to get out if it soon, 'kay? *sigh* Now I'm probably going to spend all this time worrying about _that_... Really, thought, that stinks. I'll try to keep the updates fast. :)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Well, she didn't... Oh, never mind - it's better if you read it. ;) Yeah, it's kind of sweet. I know very little about her other than the fact that she's in love with him, so that's another reason to look forward to _Blue Dragon Plus_. :) No, I haven't, but I will as soon as it's translated - not dubbed, though. I did see the screenshots, though, and it shocked the heck out of me. Yes... It's so sad. :( I wonder what will happen now?

**WindGoddess Rune:** I'm pretty sure that he is. I remember Primula calling him "Ojiichan", and I found out that he's her grandfather from the Japanese Wikipedia. *sigh* ...Why is it that the Japanese Wikipedia article is brimming with Blue Dragon info, yet the English one is filled with very little and/or inaccuracies? I partially blame the dub, since they've been mistranslating everything. I'm curious to where she came from, too - I thought we would've seen some kind of sign of her, since Dr. Tarkovsky worked with Nene. Then again, we didn't see Tarkovsky either, so... Oh, I don't know. But I'm hoping that some of these questions will be answered as Tenkai progresses. I haven't seen Coraline, but I think I'd like to. Seems a little eerie, but eerie can always be fun. ;) Besides, the effects look great. Cool, I've got those, too. :) Some may think I'm a little odd, but I often prefer the old games to the new ones. ;)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Neat! Does that mean you'll get _Blue Dragon Plus_ when it comes out? Or at least plan to? Delphinium... I guess overall, I'd say I like her. It really depends on what she's doing. Unless she has done it after Episode 32, or she does it again in Tenkai, she's attacked Bouquet twice, so that's a bad mark against her, since Bouquet is probably my favorite character. And she killed Homeron, so that's another strike. But she's also helped out the Shu-tachi, especially in the final episodes of season one. I guess she's probably one of the nicer bad characters. About her Shadow... it's okay. Personally, I named it Hydra, since I couldn't find an official name for it. It is kind of cool how she can use two Shadows in Season 2, so that's something in the _Shadow's_ favor, at least.

**Prince of Tennis's Shaman: **Thanks! :) Oh... Thank you. It's a little easier to do it with _Blue Dragon Beyond_, since _Troubles on White Day_ is supposed to be almost strictly romance. Of course, with the way I write, I couldn't help but add some other stuff in. ;) Yeah - go for it, Shu! ;D You've got me - half the time, even I don't know what she'll do next. *shrugs* Hope you like this chapter.

**Okay, there are the replies. I've suddenly become rushed again, so I'll make this quick. After the disclaimer, read and enjoy. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Dragon. I'm just writing this story because I like the characters. :P**

By the time Jiro had left Sweet Delights, the sun was already setting. He and Kluke had actually finished eating the chocolate a while ago, but they had talked for a long time.

They'd decided to take it one step at a time. They weren't even sure if they were... together - they hadn't even been able to speak _that_ word yet, which seemed to indicate that this would take a little while. Besides, there was still Bouquet and Shu to account for, and sometimes Marumaro; Zola seemed too old for Jiro to be entered into the equation (that hadn't stopped the occasional crush, but of course he hadn't told Kluke that).

He hadn't been this happy in a while. Sure, that had happened before when Bouquet had cooked him that meal, but he was even happier than that time.

_Yep, one crazy trip._

* * *

"You horrible little _beast_!" Bouquet readjusted the top of her dress after surviving another one of Marumaro's... episodes.

"Maro..." he held his head where she'd punched him.

"What's all the commotion about?" Zola asked as she walked into the room.

"Marumaro's a pervert." Bouquet said sourly.

"Yes, I know. What else happened?"

"Well, of course it isn't a big deal for you. Marumaro never tries to grope you."

"That's because Zola would probably cut me in half, maro."

"Exactly," Zola nodded in agreement. "Still, if it bothers you that much, Bouquet, the two of us can go do a little training."

Bouquet perked up immediately. "Really?"

"Wait a minute, maro!" he hopped up, suddenly recovered. "Shu and Jiro are the ones who like to train, maro! I don't need any training anyway, maro!"

Zola smiled. "We all need some training once in a while. It's important to stay in practice." she winked at Bouquet on the aside.

"B-but... but... maro..." he sputtered, trying to think of any excuse, but Zola was already dragging him outside.

Bouquet sighed in relief once they were gone. "Now... Only thing left to do is set everything up and get into position..."

* * *

"I'm back." Jiro said as he shut the door behind him, his eyes closed. When he opened them, he saw Bouquet, sprawled out on a bed with her legs crossed. _His_ bed, to be exact.

"Hello, Jiro dear. I'm glad you're home." Bouquet sounded extremely confident, but in her mind she was hoping that her position and voice were somewhere near attracting - she honestly had no idea if they were.

Unfortunately, with Jiro, you could never really tell. "I'll give you five seconds to get off my bed."

"Or what?" she giggled. "Come on over here and sit down. I've got something for you."

"And I'd want to know what this is _why_?" He threw his pack down with the others before starting to circle the room. "What did you do with my book?"

She winked at him. "Maybe I'll give it back after we spend a little quality time together."

Jiro's eyes narrowed. "Give it back. Now."

"I told you I'm thinking about it. What, now you don't want to spend time with me anymore?" she pouted.

He relented a little. "I never said that."

She sighed wistfully. "Now that you've gone and spent the whole day with _her_, you're never going to want to spend time with me again. And we were becoming such good friends, too."

"I never said you were my friend. But if you're talking about Kluke, I never said that I was friends with her, either."

"Of course you didn't. People who kiss are usually more than friends."

_Marumaro, your skin and my dagger have an appointment together._ "I've never kissed anyone before."

"I could change that."

"Bouquet, whatever happens between us now or in the future, you won't be my first kiss."

She moved around a little, trying to appear bored, though she was irritated on the inside. "I just want to have a little chat, Jiro. You know, catch up on a few things. You like strawberry, don't you?"

The narrowed eyes turned into a harsh glare. "How did you know that?"

"I have my ways."

"You were spying on me and Kluke yesterday," he folded his arms. "During breakfast. That's why you were gone - you had turned invisible."

She shrugged, though she couldn't do it right since she was lying down. "Maybe. Maybe not. Anyway, these chocolates over here are filled with strawberry cream. For White Day and all, you know."

Jiro swallowed, barely noticeable.

But Bouquet noticed - she'd been observing people too long to miss something like that. "So, you're coming, then?"

* * *

"Ah!" the boy feel to the floor.

"I got it!" Shu held up the necklace in triumph. A few of the people even clapped.

"But... but..."

"Look, we're in store that's full of jewelry," Shu leaned over him. "If you really want to get a gift, just look for another one. And work on your manners while you're at it."

"Drop dead."

Shu shook his head. "Funny. That's what I keep telling my rival, but he never listens," he looked over at the cashier, holding up the necklace. "Hey, can I buy this now, please?"

* * *

"I never thought someone like you would like strawberry." Bouquet said as she popped another chocolate into her mouth.

"Shut up." There wasn't much venom behind it, but it was clear that Jiro was annoyed.

"But isn't there something behind it? I mean, there has to be, right?"

Jiro sighed, the sigh of one with an unpleasant task. "There used to be loads of strawberry bushes near my village. My sister was crazy about them, so she used to whine until I'd bring her there so she could pick berries. Sometimes she'd convince me to eat some. I guess I ended up getting a taste for them." _Why is it that everyone has learned more about me in the past few days than this whole time we've been traveling together?_

Bouquet swallowed hard. "That sounds like something my sister would've done."

Jiro arched his eyebrows. "You have a sister?"

"Yeah."

"And you left her alone?"

"She's with my family." She paused, wondering if she should say anymore. "I'm hoping I'll get to see them again. But if I do, it probably won't be for a very long time."

It was about then that everything clicked into place for Jiro, and he finally realized what she meant. "I understand. The same goes for me."

Both of them felt like a burden had been lifted; in the fewest words possible, they had both shared with each other the secret that they shared, the secret that made them different from the others.

* * *

Shu ran down the streets, a small, gift-wrapped box in his hands. His head was pounding, and he felt nauseous again, but he was more happy than he'd been in the last few days.

He was going to make up with Bouquet. His instinct had told him that this was the right gift, so it was sure to win back her affection. It just had to.

Ever since they'd gotten here, he'd been lonely. He'd been spending hardly any time with Kluke after the first few days, and now that had been reduced to practically nothing. He and Jiro were only sometimes friends, if ever, and they were always trying to tear out each others' throats the rest of the time. Zola always seemed to be off on some kind of errand, though Shu was suspecting that she was doing this because she had some grand plot to get the five kids to spend time with each other. He did spend time with Marumaro, usually getting dragged into some kind of mischief making he wanted to do, but he usually ended up alone because Marumaro would go after any girls that happened to cross his line of vision. And Bouquet... he was hoping she didn't hate him, but it was certainly starting to seem that way.

But this gift would change at least some of that. The stuff with Bouquet, anyway.

* * *

"... so after I turned invisible, I flipped his plate in his face. It was great - he got covered in spaghetti all the way down to his stomach."

Jiro chuckled. "That sounds like something you'd do."

Bouquet smirked. "Jerks like that deserve everything they get."

He rolled onto his side towards her. "You know, you're not that bad. Better than my first impression of you, anyway."

Bouquet stuffed another chocolate in her mouth, trying to hide her blush. "Thanks."

The two of them were startled - nearly falling out of the bed - when the front door slammed open. Shu stumbled out of the cold, almost falling over himself, but managing to catch himself on his own bed.

"Phew... that was close... Hey, where's-" he froze when he looked up and saw Jiro with Bouquet. The pain in his head felt like a knife, starting to spread through his whole body.

Bouquet shot up. "Shu!" This wasn't supposed to happen; at one point, she'd considered using Jiro to make Shu jealous. But she'd started to like Jiro as a friend - her plan had just been to become good enough friends with him so that he wouldn't hate her chocolate without even tasting it.

"You... Bouquet..." Shu fisted his pillow in his hands. All of those hours... all of those hours for nothing... "I hate you! I wish I'd never met you!!" he threw the pillow in their direction before bolting outside.

"Shu..." she took a few steps forward, her clutching her apron tightly, tears threatening to fall.

Jiro pushed the pillow off himself. "Shu, you stupid idiot!" He started running towards the door.

"Jiro!"

He stopped when he heard her. "What?!" he snapped, all of it frustration with Shu, turning to look at her. He cooled off when he looked at her - she was sitting on Shu's bed, looked more frightened than he'd ever seen her. "Bouquet, what is it?"

"Come here." Her voice was weak, and she was getting pale, too.

As he approached her, he noticed that she held something white in her shaking hands. A little closer and he was able to see that there was a huge pile of the stuff in the spot where Shu's pillow had been. It was kind of odd, really - if you looked it at really carefully, even though it looked like it had gotten wet and hardened, it almost looked like SCI pills.

**Well, there it is. Half of the scene I've been planning since about chapter three. It's a little bit different than I had originally wanted, since I forgot to write down some of the things that were supposed to happen between Jiro and Bouquet. I think I like it this way, too, though. I'm a little tempted to "belittle" myself, but I won't because Prince of Tennis' Shaman said not to. :) Anyway, review if you get the chance. I'm going to have to go to sleep, so I can't work on the next part yet. But I'll probably start working on it when I get up, or shortly thereafter, since I have other things in my life I have to attend to. ;) But another chapter should be up sometime tomorrow. See you then! :)**


	17. The Culmination, Part Two

**Well, here's chapter seventeen. Since none of the reviews last chapter mentioned me being tied to a stake, I think I did pretty good. Anyway, this would've been up sooner, but I kind of slept late. Again. Gosh, I feel like the only thing I ever do is sleep... It drives me crazy. But I'll stop ranting and get to the replies now.**

**pepperdadog:** I know - I've been waiting to do this for a while. ;) Yeah - hang in there, Shu! :( Yes, that's also why he's been getting the bad headaches and nausea. And, of course, why his emotions have been going a little crazy. Oh... I didn't even think about that. No wonder he's feeling bad!

**WindGoddess Rune:** Um... I don't know if it was something with the site, but whatever you said about Shu looked like this: "* *". Well, as long as it's nothing bad, I don't care. Yeah, they were. Oh, she definitely would. Still, I'd thought that Marumaro would've at least taken a chance when he met her. It's one of those things in the series that I've wondered about endlessly. ;) Neat - I'm going to try and get it, too. Really? Yay! :D

**ultimashadow:** Probably. ;) Sorry. Stinks doesn't it? She exaggerates and gets everyone's hopes up... But what can you do? Thanks. :) Yeah - it took me a few tries with that line before I could get it to be funny enough. Glad I brought some cheer to your day. :)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Oh, really? Thanks for letting me know; that actually helps me out a lot with _Blue Dragon Beyond_. No, I didn't - I haven't watched those episodes yet. Ah, well... I don't really know. *scratches head* I just kind of liked her since I saw her, but I couldn't really figure out why. The split personality is kind of interesting, I guess; I've always wondered how she got like that. Of course, I've already worked out a possible that it happened, which will hopefully be uploaded once I get a few other stories out of the way... And I like _that_ version of her. The way she usually is... not as much. Like I said in an earlier reply, I forgot to include Noi as a Superior Life Form, and I like him _way_ more than Hildegard. :)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Wow, you're kidding! Where'd you find that out? I rested, but too long in my opinion. Ack.

**SoujaGirl (Lazy):** I know. He should be okay... I think. *looks around worriedly* Um... What does CW4M mean?

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** I know, isn't she great? :D I had to mess with that line a bit before I got it just the way I wanted it, so I'm glad you like it. Yeah - since I think that Bouquet lost her family at some point (like her dream alludes to), it seems like her and Jiro connect very well. It's a shame they don't get along better in most of the episodes. :( I suppose that since Jiro is usually fighting with Shu, Bouquet automatically dislikes him because of that. And because he wanted her thrown off the ship in Episode 9 of Season 1. I know. *sigh* Such a hasty child... I hope you like this chapter. :) Thanks, I'm taking it to heart.

**Okay, there are the replies. Ooh, boy, we're getting pretty close to Valentine's Day here. I'll have to see if I make it. As soon as I'm done with this chapter, I'll probably start working on the next. So, after the disclaimer, we'll get to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon. Everything would probably be weird if I did...**

Shu was running so hard his feet were hurting, and the pain in his head seemed to make everything hurt worse. Especially his heart.

Why? Why would she do this? Why had she even said that Shu was her fiancé in the first place, if she hadn't wanted to be with him anyway? It just didn't make sense... It didn't make sense at all.

And all of that time... Practically killing himself to get a dumb necklace... What a waste of time. She'd probably throw it out anyway.

It might have just been the cold or the wind, but his eyes were starting to sting. His vision was getting blurry, too.

* * *

"This is all my fault..." Bouquet let the clump fall back on the bed with the rest.

"Hang on," Jiro strode towards the door to the rest of the inn room. "I'll be back in a second."

Bouquet didn't really know why he'd left all of a sudden, but didn't really wait long to find out. He was back shortly, and looking more than a little disgusted at that.

"What is it, Jiro?"

"I'm not sure how long exactly, but he's been doing this almost since we got here. I found a cup hidden in the cabinet, and while the medicine we were getting was still liquid... Well, I won't gross you out, but you get the picture."

"But... How could he have done that? There were at least several minutes between when he took the medicine and went to the bathroom."

"I don't know, but he's got a heck of a lot of room in the back of his throat to be able to hold it that long."

Bouquet stood quickly. "I'm going to find him."

"I don't know if that's-"

"You're not going to change my mind," she shook her head. "This is my fault, and I'm going to fix it."

"You'd better hurry," Jiro looked towards the window. "The sun's setting, and it gets really cold at night. We don't have a lot of time."

* * *

"No, of course not!" Kluke closed her eyes, blushing crimson.

"Relax. I was just asking," Helen lifted the pot and started pouring the chocolate into the mold. "Still, that's pretty good news. You think that you two will be an item?"

"I guess..."

She finished pouring. "That's all there is to making it. You think you got it?"

Kluke nodded, smiling. "Yeah."

Helen sighed. "It's going to be so boring around here when you leave."

"Well, I'm not going to go right away just because I know how to make it." Kluke kicked the floor awkwardly.

She titled her head. "I thought the only reason you came was because you wanted to learn how."

"Yes, but..."

"You've more or less learned now. There's no reason for you to stay here anymore."

"Well, I'm probably going to be here for a few more days anyway. I like it here, so I might as well keep working until I resume my adventure. Besides..." Kluke adverted her eyes. "If I hadn't been working here, I don't think Jiro and I would've gotten into a relationship. Whatever it is we have now, I mean. So, I kind of owe it to you." she glanced back, gauging Helen's reaction.

Her boss threw her head back and laughed. Once it reduced to chuckles, she ruffled Kluke's hair. "That's my girl."

* * *

"It's already night, maro... Why are we still training, maro?" Marumaro managed to pant out.

"We'll go back in a little while," Zola held her sword at arms length, seeming to examine it for something. "Come on - you're not giving up, are you?"

" 'Course not, maro!" he got into a fighting stance.

Saber Tiger looked down at him helplessly. "Shouldn't you be in bed, Marumaro?"

"Let's go, maro! Saber Tiger!" he pointed forward.

The Shadow sighed, covering his face with his hand. "How do I end up in these situations?..."

* * *

Bouquet didn't know where to begin looking for Shu. It didn't help that night had fallen - it was pitch black out.

So, she fell back on the next best thing: "Shu, where are you?!!"

Her only reply was a slight echo of her voice. Most of the villagers had already gone inside their homes, so it gave her a horrible sense of loneliness.

The guilt she had was horrible; if something happened to him, she knew she'd never forgive herself.

She decided she might as well try a direction. It would be bad if she chose the wrong one, but she could end up wasting just as much time trying to figure out which way to go. She chose left.

* * *

Shu sniffed, wanting to kick himself for crying. He supposed he could blame the SCI, but it wasn't stopping him from feeling like a baby. He'd been doing good with the crying thing, too; until now, he hadn't cried since Homeron's death, and that had been a good while ago.

_Is everything supposed to be spinning like this?_ Was the dizzy thought that floated around in his mind. He felt like his head was stuffed with cotton...

"Shu!" he turned when he heard the voice. It was Bouquet; her face looked like it was warring between worry and relief.

He tried to say something, maybe her name, but the dizziness overtook him as he fell towards the ground, Bouquet screaming his name.

**Okay... Chapter 17 done! This chapter probably should've been in chapter sixteen, but what the heck? These two chapters seemed to end well where I did end them, so I won't worry about it. Next chapter... Well, you'll have to see. ;) Review if you can. I understand if you can't. I'm going to try and start working on the next chapter as soon as this is uploaded, so you should see it soon. See you then! :)**


	18. Important Person

**Chapter 18 up! Sorry it took me so long - I couldn't sleep, then I overslept. I give up! Not on the story, though - I'm still trying to make it to Valentine's Day. I think I might, too. I don't really know what everyone will think of this chapter, but I'm hoping for the best. I had a little writer's block, and I was trying to get out this chapter quickly so I could make it to the end of Valentine's Day. I've gotten over it, and I think it's a little bit better than when I initially wrote it (before I uploaded it). Still, it's up to the readers to decide how I did. With that, we'll go to the replies.**

**WindGoddess Rune:** I couldn't understand what you meant at first because of the site, but I got your PM, so I was able to check it out. Thanks for the hint. :) I'm feeling okay, I guess - besides colds and the stuff people are usually plagued with, I got diagnosed with diabetes in October 2007, so I'm never at my best anymore. But otherwise, I'm feeling fine. :) I think he'll be okay... I hope he will, anyway. I know - Ah! I don't know if I'll make it! Thanks, though; chocolate and kisses to you, too. :)

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Aw, thanks! :D Sorry the update took so long.

**WindGoddess Rune:** I know, I got it - thanks again. :) Yeah, she seemed to - not in a lot of words, but Noi seemed to get the message. ;) On a side note, I checked out your profile recently, and I see that you've been looking at _mine_. ;) Also, cool OCs - I'm really looking forward to seeing your stories! :D

**ultimashadow:** Yeah, I guess it was kinda obvious, huh? *scratches head sheepishly* Okay, let me see if I can answer your questions... Question one: Homeron is the information gatherer that helps the Shu-tachi in the anime. The two most notable things that he did was assist in the rescuing of Konrad and the Jibral soldiers, and he also collected impotant information about the Extra Seven. He was killed by Delphinium in Episode 24. Question two: I'm not entirely sure, since I haven't watched that episode yet - would you believe I haven't finished watching season one, even though I've watched a lot of season two? - but I believe it was Shu. Question three: If you give bananas to the monkey in the Lal Mountains Sheep Tribe Camp, he'll give you Prismatic Crystals. I haven't finished the game yet, so there might be another use for it, but I think the one I mentioned is the main one.

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** I don't know, but I thought it was better to be safe than sorry. *sweatdrops too* But I'm glad you'd get me down if they did. :) Aw... *blushes* Thanks. I know - I, myself, actually avoid pills at all costs, so I understand where he's coming from. But, if I had something as serious as SCI, I would probably take them. I know - she'd been a sort of "accidental OC" at first, but then I started developing her character and I started to like her! XD Yeah, it's hysterical - certain events from Episode 18 in Season 1 come to mind. They really do - their reunion in Episode 4 of Season 2 was so sweet. :) Here's the next chapter, so I hope you like it. Don't worry about reviewing fast; you're really nice, so I just notice when you're gone for a few days. And super happy when you're back. :D And I'll start looking out for the translations tomorrow (take your time, though). :) Also, I'd like to thank you for your last few reviews - I almost apologized for how this chapter was written, but you reviewed right when I was writing that, so I changed my mind. :)

**Okay, there are the replies. I can't think of too much else to say, so I'll do the disclaimer and then we can get to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I didn't own Blue Dragon a second ago, and I don't think I'll own it a second from now.**

Jiro had paced the room so much, he was starting to wonder if he'd made a hole in the floor. He was too worried to look. His eyes were open, but he was so caught up in his thoughts that he wasn't even seeing anything.

He didn't like to admit it, but he was worried about Bouquet and Shu. It hadn't been unusual about Bouquet, since it seemed like they'd (sort of) become friends during their stay in this place. But Shu had been a shock. They seemed to fight with each other enough for it to be considered hate, but when Jiro really thought about it, he didn't want Shu to die. And he seemed like he was running the risk of that now.

He wished Bouquet hadn't taken his book - he'd found out through personal experience that reading was a helpful stress buster.

The front door slammed open. "Jiro!" Bouquet staggered forward, an unconscious Shu hanging off her back.

Jiro rushed to her side, trying to help steady her, then taking Shu from her. Jiro almost fell over himself, but managed to get him over to a bed.

Shu hardly moved after being set down, save for the very small up-and-down motion of his chest, which Jiro and Bouquet found themselves to be incredibly grateful for. Still, the small amount of breath that was alternately coming out of his mouth and nose was raspy, and his face was flushed with fever. They absentmindedly noticed a small box clutched tightly in his hand, but with his current state, neither of them could bother to worry about it.

"H-he collapsed when I found him." Bouquet hiccuped, tears flowing down her face.

Jiro felt Shu's head, then pulled away, holding his hand like he'd been scalded. "He's burning up."

Bouquet sunk to her knees, her arms thrown on the bed next to Shu's form. "Shu..."

"Stay with him!" Jiro grabbed her shoulder, trying to put as much urgency into his voice as possible. "I'm going to get Zola!" He ran off, hoping that he would be fast enough.

* * *

Bouquet rubbed her eyes, sitting up - she must've fallen asleep. Looking around, she could see she was mostly alone, except for Shu, who was still unconscious.

Jiro had been quick about getting Zola, but they were a few minutes longer, since they stopped to get a doctor on the way. The delay hadn't been that long, but it was too long for Bouquet.

The doctor had said that it probably wouldn't be enough to kill Shu, but he was in a critical state. If it didn't get any better, that would change from "probably wouldn't" to "surely would".

They had all stayed up late, worriedly watching over him. Bouquet refused to leave his side, though she did relent at some point and agreed to sit in a chair. She supposed she'd fallen asleep a little while after; she didn't know who, but it seemed like someone had draped a blanket over her at some point.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Shu's box on the table next to the bed. She'd been too upset to really notice it before, but she was a little curious about it; he'd been holding onto it so tightly, the doctor had nearly toppled over trying to get it out of his hands. Bouquet had quickly retrieved it from him so it wouldn't be thrown away or something like that. That table was considered Shu's personal space, so no one would remove it now that it was there.

Bouquet bit her lip, trying not to cry as everything suddenly hit her again. Shu... He might die. He'd die, and it would be because of her. And if Shu was gone, who would she have? How long would the others put up with her before they left her all alone? She let her head fall on folded arms and sobbed.

She didn't know how long she cried for, though it felt like a long time to her. But she stopped a little when she felt someone grab her hand. When she saw who it was, she snapped upright. "Shu!"

"B-Bouquet..." His voice was weak. He tried to sit up, but the attempt was so small that it wasn't even noticeable.

"Shu!" she squeezed his hand in return, relief hitting her like a flood. "Hang on, I'll get-"

"Wait." Shu pulled her towards him as she started to stand, his eyes shining and desperate.

"What is it?" she felt a little impatient, wanting to go and get the others so they could see if he was alright.

"Did you... get my present?" His head was spinning, but he was so worried - he was sure he had been holding it when he passed out, but he hadn't been able to find it when he woke up.

"Do you mean that box?" she looked over at it.

He managed a nod. "Bouquet... I'm so sorry." A few tears slipped from his eyes.

She swallowed past the forming lump. "Y-you shouldn't be the one apologizing. It's my fault that you ran off. I've been treating you badly the last few days, and... Shu, I just want you to know that there's nothing between me and Jiro. I was only doing that so he would at least try my chocolate before he said he hated it. So... I'm sorry."

It was small, but Shu smiled, holding her hand close to himself. "I don't think it's your fault, but if it makes you feel better, I forgive you." he yawned, his eyes starting to slip close as exhaustion hit him. "I'm glad... you're still... my fiancée..."

* * *

"I know that maybe I shouldn't be blaming myself... but I can't help it. I can't help but feel that this wouldn't have happened if I'd been there." Kluke held his hand firmly in her own, her voice trembling.

"You need to stop worrying. If you keep worrying, you'll make yourself sick, and then you won't be able to do anything to help him." _Besides, I'm starting to worry about you._ Of course, Jiro didn't say this out loud. But he was worried that she would end up breaking down again - getting her out of the inn and away from Shu had been a nightmare, one that he wasn't eager to repeat.

She swung his hand forward a little as they walked. "I guess you're right."

"It'll help once you get to work. It's better to stay busy in a situation like this."

Kluke nodded. "Yeah," she glanced at him. "Jiro?"

"What's wrong?"

"We're here."

"We are?" he looked up, seeing the familiar sign. "Oh."

"I was just wondering... since you're still holding my hand."

"I- _What_?" he looked down and yelped, snatching his hand away and blushing.

She giggled a little. "It's okay, I don't mind. I just didn't want you to feel like you had to."

"Of course I wouldn't. I mean, we're... we're-"

"Whatever we are."

"Right. So, we're kind of supposed to do that anyway."

"I guess so."

"Yeah. Besides, I... I like holding your hand." _Idiot... idiot..._

She blushed. "I like holding your hand, too."

"I... I guess I should go. I don't want to make you late." he looked away, feeling a little bad for changing the subject so suddenly.

Kluke took advantage of the opportunity, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, before running inside. "See you after work!"

Jiro just stood there for a while, holding the place where Kluke had kissed him, noticing that the spot was warmer than anywhere else on his face.

"I knew she was gonna kiss you, maro!" Jiro spun around to see Marumaro jumping up and down.

"What... what... what are _you_ doing here?!" was the only thing he could manage to sputter out.

Marumaro stopped jumping. "I followed you, 'course, maro! I knew something would happen between you two, and I had to see what it was, maro!"

Jiro folded his arms. "I would've thought you'd be a better friend to Shu, but instead you came out here to satisfy your own sick thrills."

"I can't help Shu right now, so there's no reason for me to be there, maro. Besides, aren't you one to talk, maro?"

"Whoever said we were friends?"

Marumaro snickered. "You seemed pretty worried when you came to get Zola last night, maro."

Jiro looked away. "I didn't say I wanted him to die."

"You sure act like it sometimes, maro. But I guess this says otherwise, huh, maro?"

He turned back to him, face still flaming. "Why are my relationships so interesting to you all of a sudden? What difference does it make to you if I'm in love with someone and friends with someone else?"

"So I guess that means you're in love with Kluke and friends with Shu, right, maro?"

Jiro started running towards him. "I'm going to kill you!!"

* * *

Bouquet held the bottle of SCI medicine, turning it over and examining it. She was starting to wonder if offering to do this had been such a good idea.

When Kluke got back from work, she'd been ecstatic to find out that Shu had woken up, even if she hadn't been able to see for herself. But the fact that he had woken up still brought up a problem.

The doctor had said that the only way Shu would get better was for him to continue the medicine without ceasing; most of his recovery would have to come from him fighting against it, but his chances would be little to none if he didn't take the pills.

It made sense for Bouquet to give it to him, since he'd responded the best to her. Shu woke up the first time because he heard her cry, and when everyone tried to get him awake again, he hadn't woken up until Bouquet tried. Since it was reasonable to assume he would wake up a third time if she roused him, she offered to give him the medicine.

She'd been through this song and dance before; her little sister had hated medicine with a passion, cough syrup in particular. But the way Shu hated it... Eri had never done anything as insane as spitting it into a cup and hiding it.

Bouquet glanced over at him. He looked so calm and peaceful... She hated to wake him up, especially for something like this. But she didn't want him to get worse, either.

Tentatively, she placed her hand on his shoulder and shook. "Shu."

He made a little noise, rolling around a little. She was going to try again when he yawned and started rubbing his eyes. "Bouquet, is that you...?"

"Yeah, it's me," she sat down in the chair, trying to keep the bottle out of his sight. "How are you feeling?"

"Like someone's been pounding my whole body with a meat tenderizer. What about you?"

"Worried."

"You shouldn't be worrying." he reached to take her hand, his voice gentle.

She took his hand, holding onto it tightly. "I can't help it."

He sighed. "Did you open my gift yet?"

"No. But I will, after you get a little better. That reminds me..." she moved her thumb around his palm in a circle.

"Hm?" Shu couldn't tilt his head, so he just moved it forward a little.

"... You're going to have to take some medicine." She winced as he visibly paled.

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm sorry." she shrunk back, unable to shake feeling ashamed.

He closed his eyes, turning away from her. "No."

Marumaro jumped out from behind a potted plant, nearly knocking the thing over. "You'd better take that medicine, maro! Do you know what we went through to get her to agree, maro?!"

"I'm not taking it!"

"Where did you...? How did you...?" Bouquet pointed at him, at a loss for words.

"Shu, take the medicine, maro!"

"Leave me alone!"

Marumaro grumbled something unmentionable before leaving the room to get the others.

Fifteen minutes later found everyone, save for Bouquet, angrily yelling at Shu to take the medicine. To which he promptly refused every time.

"I don't see what the big deal is, maro! It's just a few pills, maro!" Marumaro threw his hands in the air.

"Shu, we can't afford for you to be sick. Once the weather is clear, we'll be ready to leave, but we won't be able to go if you aren't in condition for it." Zola glared at him.

"I worried about you so much that I broke all of the dishes at work! If Helen wasn't so nice, I would've been fired before the day was through! And now I come back, and you won't even take the stupid medicine!" Kluke was on the verge of tears.

"It isn't right for you to make everyone worry like this!" Jiro leaned on the bed.

"I don't care what you say to me - I'm not taking it!" Shu held his hands over his ears, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You're a selfish brat, you know that?!" Jiro yelled in his face.

Shu was about to counter, but was cut off as he choked. He clamped a hand over his mouth, suddenly breaking into a fit.

"Shu!" Bouquet pushed past everyone, grabbing Shu's free hand.

It stopped after a minute; he sighed in relief once he was sure it was over. "Bouquet..."

"Please, take the medicine," she pleaded with him. "It'll make you feel better."

He looked at her carefully for a minute, then closed his eyes, blushing a little. "Will... Will you give it to me?"

Bouquet was a little taken aback for a moment, but recovered and nodded. "Sure."

"Now wait just a- mmph!" Kluke was cut off as Jiro, Marumaro and Zola clamped their hands over her mouth, starting to drag her away.

Jiro turned to Bouquet, whispering harshly, "Hurry!"

She gave a quick nod, then turned back to Shu, taking the top off of the bottle. "Are you ready?"

"I'm going to need some water." he looked away from her.

"It's already here. And don't try and spit it out or anything."

"I wouldn't do that in front of you." Shu glanced at her.

"Thanks... I think. Come on, I'll help you sit up." In one hand, she took his hand and pulled. In the other hand, she put her hand under his head and tried to guide him upwards.

He bit his lip to keep from crying out when she touched his head; Bouquet was being as gentle as possible, but that didn't stop his head from feeling like it was being stuck with pins. It would've hurt if he was doing it himself, so it couldn't be helped. Still, he didn't want to yell and make her think she'd made it worse.

Once he was sitting up, she kept her arm around him for support. "You okay?"

"Aside from feeling like a helpless invalid, and the fact that I'd hit my head with something if that didn't make it hurt worse, I feel great."

"I'm sorry, Shu."

He sighed. "Bouquet, as soon as this is over, you can apologize as much as you want. But right now I'd just like to get this over with, if it's all the same to you."

"Oh, r-right," she grabbed the water in one hand, the pills in the hand that was on the same side as the arm holding him up. "Close your eyes."

He didn't really see how that was going to help, but he did it anyway. He was a little surprised when she gave him some water first, then had to keep from chucking the pills out of his mouth when he felt one touch his tongue. He felt her hand rubbing his back, and he relaxed a little, managing to swallow them with the help of some water. He downed the rest of the glass, then breathed out, saying, "Icky!"

Bouquet laughed, now hugging him loosely with both arms. "But it's over with now. Right?"

"Until tomorrow." Shu said flatly.

Bouquet winced, not wanting to think about it. "We'll worry about it later. For now, you should get some rest."

"Bouquet?" he started after he'd laid back down.

"Yeah?"

"I want you to promise me something."

"What is it?"

"If I take the pills tomorrow, I want you to open my gift."

She smiled. "Okay."

* * *

"When I get my hands on her, I'll strangle her!" Marumaro, who had received the brunt of Kluke's rage after they'd taken her out of the room, got another kick as she heard the end of the exchange between Shu and Bouquet.

"M-maro..." he twitched a little, only half conscious.

"Relax," Jiro was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed. "You heard what he said - tomorrow we won't even have to deal with it. It'll be Bouquet's problem."

"But that means that she'll be spending more time with him!"

Zola raised her eyebrows. "I thought there was something going on between the two of you." she gestured to Kluke and Jiro.

Jiro flushed, but Kluke was too angry to be bothered about it. "There is! But that's besides the point! We still have a competition going on, and I know she'll use this to her advantage."

Zola shrugged. "She's already using everything to her advantage. You can't beat her by trying to copy her - you have to use your own strategy and stick to it."

Kluke's anger deflated a little. "I guess you're right."

Marumaro mumbled something, but they could only catch the end: "... Kluke's skirt, maro..."

Jiro and Kluke simultaneously kicked him, sending him into full unconsciousness.

**Okay, there's chapter eighteen. And it ended on a better note than I thought. ;) I have a note that's kind of important so...**

**A KIND OF IMPORTANT NOTE: NEXT CHAPTER MAY BE THE LAST CHAPTER.**

**I am **_**not**_** abandoning it, just in case someone got the wrong idea. But, save for the omake, the next chapter or the one after it will probably be the last one; I have to write it and see first. I'm tempted to do all the thanks and stuff now, but I'll save it for the end. Review if you get the chance, and I'll see you soon! :)**


	19. March 6th

**Okay, here's Chapter 19! Before I continue, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! On that note, I'm hoping that I'll be able to finish the story today. This chapter isn't the last chapter, but the next one will be (not including the omake). With that, we'll go through the review replies now.**

**ultimashadow:** Well, thanks then! :) He probably will; Kluke tends to hit pretty hard just on her own. ;)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Yeah - it's about time, huh? But I'm glad he did. :) Thanks so much! :D Yeah, it stinks. I'll always have ups and downs. This last time I was sick bad wasn't because of the diabetes, though - writing tends to cut through the sugar. ;) Oh, I know, I'm just teasing you; guess I should probably be more careful about that. And please, by all means, copy me with the profile as much as you want. It was a _pain_ to try and find out information to make a good one in the first place. *glares at "Search Engines" folder in Favorites* In fact, I'm actually a little embarrassed that you'd think I'm worth copying. *blushes* Thank you. Yes, I am - the Daner x Xi oneshot I mentioned in _Recovery_ is about halfway done, and I have another oneshot collection I'm planning which will probably be uploaded soon after _Troubles on White Day_ is finished. And, with Blue Dragon, that's not even including my kind-of-AU pet project titled _Maple Leaf_; that one I've been working on since around the time Episode 36 of Season 1 aired in Japan. I know; I'm pushing to finish _Troubles on White Day_ today, so I haven't gotten the chance to update _Blue Dragon Beyond_. So sorry! And have a nice Valentine's Day!

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Thanks! Really? Can't wait to see it when you're done. :D Here's the next chapter.

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Don't worry about it! I'm just glad you're doing it. :) It's been taking me a while to translate the Spanish subs of Season 1, so... Translating just takes a while. Aw, thanks! :D Yeah - I know I said it earlier, but I can't help it - his character is so much fun to write, especially the game Jiro. But sometimes writing the anime Jiro can be equally fun, since he usually comes up with such neat lines. Take your time with the translation, and I'll reply to your next review when Chapter 20 is up. :)

**There are the review replies. Well, people, we're getting mighty close to the end here. I don't want to end up rambling again, so once the disclaimer's done, read and enjoy. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon. But I hope everyone at Mistwalker has a Happy Valentine's Day!**

"Ouch..." Bouquet rubbed her back as she sat up - she'd fallen asleep in the chair again, and her spine felt awful. And someone had put another blanket on her; she was really going to have to find out who kept doing this.

She checked to see who was in the room. Shu was, of course, still asleep. Marumaro was, too. Jiro was gone - he must've left with Kluke. That meant it was early, but not too early.

The box caught her eye again. Now that she was supposed to open it today, she was even more anxious to see what was inside of it than before. But she said she'd open after Shu took the pills, so she would have to wait until then.

She sighed, picking up her bag, looking around to see if she could find that book she'd snatched...

* * *

Jiro opened and closed his hands, his palms sweating; this had been such a stupid idea. Why hadn't he killed Marumaro when he had the chance?

For whatever reason, he'd let Marumaro talk him into getting a gift for Kluke. He said that it was "the most effective technique with a girlfriend". Effective for what, Jiro didn't know, nor did he want to find out. But knowing Marumaro, it couldn't be anything good.

So, after walking Kluke to work again, he'd found himself in the nearby jewelry store, looking for a present. Before going to sleep, the Devee had mentioned that Shu had also gotten a gift for Bouquet. Jiro wasn't one to copy his rival, but he'd admit that whenever Shu woke up, he seemed to be on very good terms with Bouquet. Besides, Kluke had been upset since Shu had gotten sick, and a gift might cheer her up.

"Excuse me? Young man?" Jiro looked up to see a cashier woman across the counter. "Can I help you?"

He blushed a little, suddenly nervous. "Maybe. I'm looking for a gift for my gir- friend," he quickly changed the last part. "For my friend."

The woman giggled. "I see. Well, we just got some new things in a few moments ago. We put most of them over there." she pointed to a nearby aisle.

He nodded, short and quick. "Okay. Hey, thanks."

"You're welcome." she bowed slightly before turning her attention to another customer.

Jiro looked through, but couldn't find much. He was thinking of giving up altogether, when he found something that seemed like it might be good enough.

The design was simple: a silver ring with a very small, yellow gemstone set in the center. It was possible that it was too simple, but Jiro doubted that Kluke wanted something showy; she just wasn't that kind of girl.

He had just grabbed it, but another hand had at the same time. "Ugh, not another one! Look, I need a gift for my girlfriend, and I'm not gonna deal with another brat!"

Jiro narrowed his eyes at the boy. "If you want to keep your head, you'll hand it over."

The boy pulled on it. "_You_ hand it over!"

Jiro pulled back, borrowing one of Shu's favorite expressions: "Drop dead!"

* * *

"So..." Helen twirled a lock of hair between her fingers absentmindedly. "Did you kiss him today?"

Kluke looked at her through lidded eyes. "Are you going to ask me that every day?"

She smiled pleasantly. "Only until the two of you kiss."

"Who said we're going to kiss?"

"Come on, Kluke. What _else_ are you two going to do?"

"Have a conversation like normal people!"

"_Normal_ people would kiss."

"Agh!"

* * *

_Why do I always have to wake up with my head feeling like lead?_ Was the first thought in Shu's head. He did admit, though, that some of the aching had gone away after he had taken the medicine.

He started sitting up so he could stretch, but felt a weight on his legs. Looking down, he saw Bouquet sleeping, a book in her hands.

Shu blushed, despite the fact that there was a blanket between them. His eyes scanned the room - he didn't know when the others had left, but he and Bouquet were the only ones left in the room. The sun seemed fairly high in the sky, so it was probably late afternoon.

He thought about waking her up, but she'd seemed so stressed out lately... He blamed himself for that. He also felt guilty that he was happy she was concerned about him; she'd already gotten rid of any belief he had that she liked Jiro, but it was still nice to know she cared.

Sighing, he laid back down and decided to wait, hoping he wouldn't fall asleep before Bouquet woke up.

* * *

It took a few good pulls, and a kick to the rude boy's stomach, but Jiro managed to pull the ring away. The problem was that by the time he had done so, and paid for it, he was late for walking Kluke back to the inn. It didn't help that he got stopped along the way.

"Are you _stalking_ me?!"

" 'Course not, maro. I just came by to check if you'd gotten the present, maro."

"Yeah, not before getting into a tug-of-war." While Jiro was still angry with Marumaro, most of the venom in that statement was from the earlier fight with the boy.

"He, uh, wouldn't happen to have short light brown hair, would he, maro?"

Jiro's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

Marumaro sighed. "That's the boy Shu was fighting with for the necklace, maro."

The eyes narrowed. "Stupid little moron probably made the SCI worse. Should've kicked him somewhere else a lot worse than his stomach."

"You kicked him, maro?"

"Sure did."

"That seems like something you'd do, maro."

Jiro shrugged. "He was acting worse than Shu."

Marumaro snickered. "I think this trip has changed you, maro."

He strode past him. "Don't bother me - I'm late."

* * *

Bouquet sat up quickly, groaning as she realized she'd fallen asleep for the second time that day; this was developing into a horrible pattern.

Shu mumbled something incoherent, leaning towards her.

She giggled quietly, reaching over to brush his hair away from his face - she thought he was so cute when he slept.

She felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around to see Zola, who put a glass of water and the medicine bottle on the table, leaving without saying a word.

Bouquet pulled away when it seemed like Shu was waking up. He yawned, saying, "You sleep for a long time, you know?"

"Sorry," she looked towards the window. Night - time for the pills. "Are you able to take the meds now?"

He groaned. "Is it time?"

"Yeah." She got out two of them.

He sighed, gathering his strength and pushing himself up in one move. "Where are they?"

She shook off her surprise and started to get the water, but he snatched the meds from her before she could do anything else. He stared at her hard. "You're going to open my present, right?"

"Of course."

He stuffed the pills into his mouth, downing all of the water. He panted a little after he was done. "_That_... is disgusting."

Bouquet gaped at him. "I've never seen anyone swallow something so fast."

He shrugged, setting the glass on the table. "You'd be surprised how fast you can do something you don't want to do, just to get it over with."

"I guess that's true..."

Shu folded his arms. "Well? Are you going to open it or what? I'm not swallowing these things for my health."

Her eyebrow twitched. "I wish you would."

"Please, Bouquet."

She sighed, grabbing the box. She turned it over in her hands; who knew a little rectangle could cause so much trouble?

He pulled at the edges of the sheets, nervous as she unwrapped it slowly. The wait was agonizing enough, but it didn't help that the medicine was making him feel sleepy.

Once the wrapping was off, she saw the reddish box underneath. She opened it up, then gasped as she lifted the necklace out. "Shu..."

"What is it? Do you like it?" He nearly yelped out loud when he bit down to hard on the inside of his cheek.

She looked up at him, stunned, her eyes filling with tears. "How did you know?"

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Know what?"

"Oh... I guess you don't know..." she turned her eyes downward, twisting up her apron in her free hand.

"What's wrong, Bouquet?"

She looked up at him shyly, blushing. "W-well, it's just... T-to the Ra Clan, the triangle is the symbol of love."

"Oh, really?" he felt his own face heat up; at least now he knew what his instinct had tried to tell him.

She nodded. "Thank you..."

They were both silent for about two minutes before Bouquet threw her arms around him and started crying.

**Okay... There's chapter nineteen. Next chapter will be the end, though that's still not including the omake. I'm keeping the note short this time, because I want to start working on chapter twenty. Review if you get the chance, and I'll see you in a little while, hopefully before Valentine's Day is over!**


	20. White Day

**Well, here we are at chapter twenty. And I finished it on Valentine's Day! :D There isn't a lot of time before midnight, so I'm going to make the opening note short. So, let's do the replies real quick...**

**ultimashadow:** Thanks again. :) Oh, those two? The one with silver hair is Furioso, and the one with gold hair is Vermillion. I'll do my best; I hope you like this one as much as the others.

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** You don't _have_ to, but I like it when you do. :) Aw, thanks! :D I know; isn't he just the most annoying thing? For some reason, he reminds of this kid who threw sand in my face when I was three... I honestly can't tell which of them is worse. I think he might think of trying to get a different gift after these two bad experiences. ;) Yeah, Marumaro's a relief to have around sometimes. Since his character is so perverted in the anime, I find him the hardest of all to write. But what can you do? Still looking forward to the translation. :) But you don't have to rush.

**WindGoddess Rune:** Yeah; it's nice how that worked out for Shu. :D Yeah, not including the omake, twenty is the end. The other stories will be up ASAP. :)

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Thanks. :) Well, it probably isn't in canon, but I don't really know; it's just another one of my theories, like the SCI. Oh, I'm sorry - I should've been more clear. The rectangle is the box; the shape on the necklace is a triangle. Glad you're liking it. :D

**Okay, there are the replies. I'm still short on time, so after the disclaimer, read on. ;)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon. Not enough time to write anything else.**

Today was March 7th. Today was White Day.

All over the world, girls were giving chocolate to boys, a small way of thanking them for the chocolate they'd received on Valentine's Day.

But in a small village in the mountains, two visiting girls held a not-quite-traditional competition...

* * *

Kluke leaned on her elbows, looking out the window; there wasn't much snow falling now, and most of what was on the ground had melted in the morning.

This day was one of the few holidays that Sweet Delights didn't give vacations for, but Helen had made an exception for Kluke, since today was the last day of the competition and all. Though part of the agreement was that she would kiss Jiro today or tomorrow, something which Helen hadn't added until Kluke had already agreed, so she couldn't get out of it.

Kluke was pretty sure what she was going to try to make, but was still a little afraid; nothing she'd made had ever really been edible, and she'd only had two weeks to learn how. But that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

It was afternoon now. Bouquet had already started making her chocolate; they'd flipped a coin to decide who would go first. It hadn't really been that long since she started, but the wait was putting Kluke on edge.

Another thing she was impatient about was what Jiro had said to her earlier.

"_It's just..." he made a sound of annoyance in the back of his throat, seemingly upset that he wasn't able to say what he wanted. "Look, we'll talk later, okay? After the competition. It's important."_

Afterwards, it had seemed like he was purposely avoiding her - when she went into a room, he seemed like he would try to get out of it as quickly as possible. And Marumaro had been whispering things to him, and to Shu.

Speaking of Shu, he was actually doing much better; Kluke didn't want to admit it, but whatever Bouquet had done was working. He'd hadn't been feeling well enough to actually get out of the bed yet, but he sat up without any help, and was able swing his legs over the side of the bed (doing so just for the sake of saying he wasn't sick).

"You should be getting ready, shouldn't you?" Zola's voice interrupted her musings.

Kluke turned to face her, folding her hands in front of her. "Probably. But I'm thinking things over, so maybe that's a way of getting ready, too."

Zola nodded. "That's true," she walked over to stand next to Kluke. "That's one of my preferred ways of preparing for something."

Kluke looked out the window again. "Zola... Do you think I have any chance of winning?"

She smiled knowingly. "I think you and Bouquet have both already won."

"Hm?" she looked at her confusedly.

Zola turned to her. "The point of Valentine's Day and White Day is to have someone special to spend it with. And the two of you have that now. Maybe one of you can make better chocolate. But the person who doesn't make it as well will still win."

"Zola..." Kluke smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

"What?!" Shu nearly choked on the water he was drinking.

"Quiet, maro! She'll hear you, maro!"

"B-but... Marumaro, I've never kissed anyone before!"

Marumaro groaned, slapping his hand against his face. It hadn't seemed likely that Jiro and Kluke would kiss, so he'd wanted a backup view in the form of Shu and Bouquet - it would work out, because if everything went right, he'd get to watch two kisses anyway. But, with Shu's shyness about it, he was starting to wonder if it was worth it. "It's not that big of a deal, maro."

Shu crossed his arms over his chest. "Have _you_ ever kissed anyone before?"

_No, maro. But I will if I don't do something about that stupid fiancée of mine, maro._ " 'C-course I have, maro!"

"Weren't you nervous? Before you did it, I mean."

Why did he lie to someone like Shu? "M-maybe a little, maro," Marumaro shook his head. "But, I got over it, maro! And so should you, maro!"

Shu swung his foot a little, trying to get the feeling back into it; the bed was cutting off his circulation at the knee. He was pretty sure now that he liked Bouquet, but doing something like that to express it so openly... Frankly, the thought of it made him want to climb up the wall. But, at first, the thought of returning Bouquet's feelings had done the same thing. Looking at it like that... "Okay."

Marumaro turned around from where he was holding his head and panicking about his failed plan. "Say what, maro?"

"I'll do it. But only after the competition is over!"

"Good, maro." Marumaro turned around, then making sure that Shu couldn't see, pumped the air with his fist. _Score, maro!_

* * *

Bouquet held up the small disc of the necklace so she could look at it better; she'd been wearing it since Shu had given it to her, and she didn't plan on taking it off anytime soon.

She closed her hand around it, her eyes closed, smiling. _Obachan... I think I understand the dream now._ The dream had been a warning, that Shu would be in danger. She had to fight through the illness to find him again, and she'd done so. And now everything seemed right.

Well, everything would be right once she beat Kluke. With that in mind, she turned her attention to the last minute ingredient she had to add...

* * *

As soon as Kluke had filled the mold with chocolate, she promptly turned around and screamed with delight. She'd done it.

It had taken a lot of hard work, a lot of trial and error, and a lot of ingredients, but she'd finally made something.

She didn't know if it tasted okay, since she hadn't she tried it yet; she was too afraid that it would be awful, just like everything else she'd made. But she was too happy to worry about it.

"I did it! I really did it!" she spun around the room.

Kluke's eyes were closed, so she couldn't see the ajar door, where Jiro was smiling at her. "Good job, Kluke..."

* * *

It was sunset when the chocolate was finished setting. It was placed on a table where the three boys were sitting (though Shu had needed some help).

They were both in the shapes of hearts. Kluke's was milk chocolate frosted with pink icing, and Bouquet's was white chocolate frosted with blue icing; the colored icing was mostly to show which one was made by which girl.

When it was time, Zola came over and cut off three pieces from each chocolate heart. Once she had finished, all three of them took a piece of Kluke's chocolate and tried it.

"Good, maro."

"Good."

"Good."

"Yes!" Kluke jumped up. "In your face!" she pointed at Bouquet.

Bouquet scowled at her. "They haven't even tried mine yet."

At that moment, they each tried Bouquet's.

"Good, maro."

"Good."

"Good."

"WHAT?!!" Both girls gaped at them.

Marumaro shrugged. "What else was I supposed to say, maro?"

"Hmph." Jiro closed his eyes.

"I couldn't decide..." Shu said apologetically.

"W-we have to have a tiebreaker!" Bouquet cried. "Something! Anything!"

Kluke shook her head. "How do you break a tie in something like this?"

"Zola, do something!" Bouquet pleaded.

"Why don't we just leave it as a tie? It's perfectly reasonable for two people to have equal cooking skill."

"You're comparing my cooking to _hers_?!"

"My cooking is much better than it was!" Kluke argued.

"A tie might even be more respectable than you two winning. The two of you have proved that you're both worthy of being each other's rivals."

Kluke looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. "I think Zola might be right."

"But... one of us was supposed to win... and it was supposed to be me!"

Kluke directed her gaze at Zola, smiling. "We did win."

"Huh?" Bouquet looked between the two of them, not understanding.

"Come on," Kluke threw her arm over Bouquet's shoulder. "I'll explain it to you."

* * *

Bouquet sighed, watching her breath come out like white smoke. Kluke had "explained" the theory to Bouquet, but it still seemed silly to her. She'd wanted to win...

"You said you'd do it, maro!"

"Ow, Marumaro!" Shu barely caught himself on a pillar, turning to glare at Marumaro. "You know I can't walk right yet!"

"Shu," Bouquet stood up. "Are you okay?"

"Hi, Bouquet," he sat down on the steps next to her, blushing as he saw the necklace. "You're still wearing it?"

She smiled warmly, brushing her fingers over it absentmindedly. "Of course. I don't think I'll ever take it off."

"I'm glad." he looked out at the sleeping village.

She brought her knees closer to her chest, just enjoying his presence. She had just turned her head to tell him something, but whatever she was going to say was lost as he kissed her.

There wasn't much too it (though they both thought differently); just a small bit of pressing and some warmth.

He pulled away quickly, his face scarlet. _I'm going to kill Marumaro; that wasn't easy at all._

Neither of them said anything for a minute, when Bouquet broke the silence with a cry, saying, "Oh, Shu, I'm so happy!" she launched towards him, preparing to crush him in one of her infamous hugs.

"Ah!! Bouquet, wait!!"

* * *

"They seem like they're getting pretty cozy." Kluke commented sourly. She'd seen the whole thing from beginning to end, and she felt sick to her stomach.

"They are betrothed." Jiro startled her as he came out of nowhere.

"It was only an accident," she said after she'd recovered. "It's not like a real engagement or anything."

"It's an accident that we came here," Jiro stepped towards her, each footfall filled with confidence. "Does that mean the two of us aren't really together?"

"Th-that's not what I meant." Kluke blushed, a little surprised he'd actually come out and said it.

"I have something for you." he pulled out a box that she hadn't noticed him hiding.

She looked at it warily, noticing the resemblance to a ring box. "You're not proposing to me, are you?"

"Of course not!!!" He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "No. We're only ten." he said it much calmer, though he was still upset.

"Sorry. Just wanted to check." she said sheepishly.

"You're not too far off," he opened the box, revealing the ring he'd bought earlier. "I mean, it's a ring, so you're not really far off..."

"Jiro, it's beautiful!" she cried, cutting off his rambling.

"Here." he handed it to her, smiling as he watched her try it on.

She held her hands over her chest. "Jiro... How can I thank you?"

He moved so there was hardly an inch between them, absentmindedly glad that Marumaro wasn't around to mess things up this time. "I think I might know a way..." he closed the remaining distance between them, and just let his heart guide him from there.

* * *

Marumaro spun around as he made his way back inside, almost reverting into one of those (outdated, in his opinion) Devee dances. _At last, I finally get something out of this trip, maro!_

He jumped up on his bed, folding his arms behind his head and relaxing. _Maybe one day I'll have a girl like Kluke or Bouquet, maro..._

He looked up when he felt something tap his shoulder, (seemingly) opening his eyes just in time to see Zola leave the room, a wrapped chocolate from Sweet Delights on his stomach. His smile grew as he went back to his rest. _Maybe not Zola, but maybe one day soon, maro..._

_**Kan**_

**Well, there's the end. I thought about dragging it out some more, but I thought this was as good place as any to end it. "Kan", by the way, means "the end" in Japanese. Before I forget, I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed:**

**WindGoddess Rune**

**Prince of Tennis's Shaman**

**The Flying Frog**

**motorcycle demon**

**ultimashadow**

**Edward-Elric-in-red**

**pepperdadog**

**SoujaGirl (Lazy)**

**Thank you, guys; you've helped me so much! :D The omake will probably be up tomorrow or the day after. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!**


	21. Omake: A Small Gesture

**Hey, guys; here's the omake. I'd like to warn you in advance that the omake is much, much shorter than any of the other chapters. It was going to be longer, but once I started writing it, it seemed better not to make it long. Before I continue, we'll do the review replies.**

**Prince of Tennis' Shaman:** Aw, thanks! :D Isn't she the best? Here's the omake. :) I know - that scene wasn't going to be there originally, but I thought of it at the last minute and added it. And I liked the results. I think he will, eventually, even in the regular series. That's probably just what he needs - a girl to settle down with. ;) I got your PM, and now that I was able to understand it, I thoroughly enjoyed Episode 39. Looking forward to the others, but take your time.

**pepperdadog:** Thanks! The part with Marumaro and Zola was another thing that wasn't going to be there originally, but I couldn't figure out how to end it, and it seemed as good a way as any. And I'm glad you liked the kissing scenes; I myself have never kissed anyone, so everything is based on guessing and/or what I've read. *insert sweatdrop here*

**WindGoddess Rune:** Wow, thank you so much. *blushes* That's so nice. And I'm looking forward to seeing your stuff, too. :)

**WindGoddess Rune:** Overall, I like her very much. Being the priestess of the White Brigade, she has a heavy burden to bear, especially for someone so young, but she is very strong about it. Also, she and Shu seem to be bonding on some kind of friend/sibling level, so that's another good thing. I know that there's been some speculation among those who've been watching Tenkai that Primula is Zola's reincarnation, but I don't think that's true. I guess mostly I think that she isn't because I don't want her to be; if she's Zola, then what will happen to the Primula we know? I'm probably wrong, but... I do think that she'll be the one to bring back Zola, however she does it. Maybe she has some sort of skill that can reopen the seal? And since she's a priestess, she can probably purify the darkness. Or something like that; I'm just speculating. :P But when all is said and done, I like her, and she's one of my favorite characters. :)

**Edward-Elric-in-red:** Thanks. :) I wasn't going to have that scene at first, but I thought it would be good to have Marumaro and Zola get involved somehow. Plus, I couldn't think of another ending. ;) Yay! I'm looking forward to seeing it. :D

**Okay, there are the replies. On a side note, I added a second genre to this: drama. I probably should've done it sooner, but I did it now. This actually would've been up sooner, but I had to go to bed right when I was going to finish it... I won't get into all of that, because I'm still annoyed about it, but let's just shorten it and say I wasn't feeling well. You don't want to hear all of it, anyway, right? Right. So... after the disclaimer, we'll get to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Blue Dragon. And while I'll still have to write this dumb thing in my other stories, thank God this is the last time I have to write it for **_**Troubles on White Day**_**.**

For the army of Grand Kingdom, both Valentine's Day and White Day were just days like any other. There were a few people who would give out chocolate and set up decorations, making sure that it was away from the critical eyes of Nene or Szabo; as long as no one did it near him, Rogi usually didn't mind too much. One person in particular who loved to do this was Cynthia, which was another thing that made her absence so painfully apparent.

While he was careful to show it, Rogi was still upset about the loss of Lemaire and Cynthia, and was still concerned about Gilliam's status - he hadn't been doing well. On top of all of that, Nene seemed like he had Rogi on the chopping block. The thing that was so infuriating to Rogi was that he was going to be replaced by, of all things, a robot.

He sighed, going through the previous reports of their battles with the Shadow User children and Zola. It just didn't make sense; how had a powerful army like Grand Kingdom been bested by the likes of them so many times?

There was a knock on his door. "Enter."

He was surprised when Delphinium walked in, looking particularly uncomfortable, which was an odd thing in itself. But he thought he might be sick when he thought he saw her blushing. "General Rogi, could I have a word with you?"

"I suppose. What is it regarding?" he looked through the papers, pretending to be bored. But something that could unnerve the spy made him curious, and he was eager to find out what it might be.

"It's concerning today's holiday."

"Which is?"

"...White Day."

Now he did abandon the act, looking up at her with wide eyes. "And what would this have to do with me?"

"I-I just wanted to give this to you," she quickly set down a wrapped chocolate on his desk and started backing away. "Cynthia had given everyone chocolate for Valentine's Day, and now that she's passed... It seemed appropriate to give it to you." The way she said it, he almost thought it sounded like an excuse.

"I see. Well, thank you. Is there anything else you needed?"

"N-no. I guess I should be going..." she turned to leave, then stopped. "Oh, and I'm sorry if you don't like it. I asked Andropov what kind of chocolate you liked, but he didn't know. I, um... I just guessed." She hurried out of the door.

Once she'd gone, he opened it up and ate it, instantly surprised. _Dark chocolate and orange... The only one who knew I liked that flavor was Cynthia. I was pretty sure she hadn't told anyone, so how did Delphinium find out?_ Thoroughly amused at the possibilities, he went back to work, in the back of his mind trying to think of a way to find out how she'd discovered it.

**... Okay, that probably could've been better. But, I kinda might've forgotten what my original idea was, just maybe, so... What the heck did I ever do a Rogi x Delphinium for? Should've done Gilliam x Delphinium... Ah, well, what's done is done. Since this is the end of **_**Troubles on White Day**_** (though the true end was Chapter 20), I won't be able to reply to reviews in the next chapter. But thanks to ultimashadow, I discovered a handy feature called "Review Reply". Heh... Who knew? But since that's what I've been doing, I will still continue to reply to reviews in my other stories in the following chapters. I will, however, use this feature in the last chapter. So... review if you get the chance. Thanks for reading my story. I hope you had a happy Valentine's Day, and will have a happy White Day. See you around! :D**


End file.
